Long Island Woman Survives Two Fires, Finds Hope Reborn with New Home, Puppy

Next month will mark a year since a devastating house fire left Greenport’s Peggy Richards and her partner Ken MacAlpin with nothing.

They saw all of their worldly possessions destroyed in the fire, and were bereft after the loss of their beloved pets, two dogs and three cats.

The months following the fire were heavy with grief.

Only two months later, while staying in the parsonage of the First Universalist Church of Southold, Richards’ beloved parish, the church burned to the ground in a horrifying fire last March.

While the parsonage was not destroyed, the trauma of watching another fire destroy the church she considers a second home was deeply painful for Richards.

Now, a year later, hope is reborn: Richards and MacAlpin recently moved into a new home in Flanders, and recently, joyfully got a new puppy,

Richards spoke to Patch this week about the experience, and how her heart has healed in even the most challenging of times.

When she bought her Kaplan Avenue home in Greenport, the home that burned to the ground, she said. “I swore I would leave in a pine box. A bit drastic, I know. I hated moving, I hated living at the whim of landlord.”

The fire left her dreams of home ownership in ashes.

“It was crushing when, after 15 years my entire house and everything in it burned down. We also lost our beloved pets, one of whom was my significant other’s service dog, Joyce.”

And they lost a lifetime of memories. “Having always been somewhat poor, I focused on things,” irreplaceable things that were lost, Richards said, including the baptism gown crocheted by her sister for her children, her deceased son’s medical records, and his favorite childhood Muppet toys, as well as books and toys passed down through generations to her grandchildren.

“Of all that, besides the living pets, I grieved the flower garden I had cultivated and grown for 15 years. Naively, I didn’t understand that the demolition would scrape my front yard clean or I would have dug up and kept or given away many of my plants,” she said.

But despite the sadness, there was the strong wave of community support, as neighbors and friends rallied and raised funds to help the couple in their time of great need.

“We were immediately overwhelmed by help from my communities. Upon leaving the hospital we ran to my church— the First Univeralist Church of Southold — because it was a warm space. I called the pastor, and he generously offered to let us stay at the parsonage next door until we could get it together.”

In addition, she said, Community Action of Southold Town, North Fork Yoga Shala, fellow members of the local Democratic party, friends, and the congregation of First Universalist Church of Southold, as well as the community in general donated cash, clothing and household items.

“Strangers, family members, and friends of my family members made generous donations,” she said.

After leaving the parsonage, Richards and MacAlpin rented an upstairs apartment in Greenport. “A very kind Greenporter donated beds, couches, a rug and a dining room set, making the apartment feel like a home. We nested and gathered our thoughts and feelings,” she said.

But, suffering from fibromyalgia, “The stairs were daunting, as was the summer heat. I rarely went out for months,” she said. Her partner has faced a long battle with cancer.

There were other frustrations. “Having insufficient insurance, I ended up owning a piece of vacant land without the funds to rebuild.” There were issues concerning an asbestos test, and mounting demolition costs that, Richards said, despite a generous donation by Bridgehampton National Bank, left her facing financial challenges

With proceeds from the sale of the parcel, Richards said she had a ”strong desire to never rent again.” After researching her options, she thought a mobile home might be the answer. “This, of course, meant leaving my adopted hometown of Greenport. I convinced myself that this would be a good move. I would be so much closer to my grands and shopping options would be multiplied.”

And so, Richards’ bright new future began to dawn brightly.

“We were lucky to find a home in great condition for a good price in the Riverwoods Mobile Home,” a 55-and-over community. ”The park rent is affordable and the home is mine. We are in the middle of the Pine Barrens and have wildlife surrounding us. I have already seen turkeys and a quail. We’ve spotted blue jays and cardinals and I have heard a great variety of bird calls that I have to learn to identify. And, of course, we got a puppy.”

The puppy, whose name went from Kismet, to Kizzy, and is now shortened to Zee, is a three month old Australian Shepherd who keeps the pair happily busy.

“The first week we had her, I got more fresh air than in the previous year. She is loving and soft, except for her sharp baby teeth. She requires great attention and care, which is a healing thing for two older, ill and broken people. She helps me to stay on top of my housekeeping as, for instance, nothing can be left on the floors or even in her reach.”

Looking ahead, Richards said, “I envision a good future. I see myself gradually getting my physical strength back by walking around the community, which has a number of ponds as well as wildlife. Ken and Zee and I will grow old together.”

Plans include seeing family who live far from their former home in Greenport, exploring local businesses and shops, and taking daily walks.

Most of all, they are thankful. ”I truly don’t know where we would be if not for the heartwarming and overwhelming generosity of the North Fork, and greater community,” Richards said.

Patch courtesy photo of Peggy Richards with her granddaughter.