Obituary of Margaret R. Rakula

Rakula Obituary
March 22, 1929 – December 25, 2025
Margaret (Peggy) Rakula passed away on Christmas Day at the age of 96. Peggy was born in Philadelphia to Carl and Margaret Raetze and was raised in Lansdowne, graduating Lansdowne High School in 1946. She worked at Lansdowne Federal Savings and Loan and was very active in supporting the Polio Foundation during the polio epidemic, managing fund raising and coordinating care as the Foundation’s Executive Secretary.

In 1951, she married Robert Fulton (now deceased) and followed him to his Air Force postings in Maryland, Idaho and Alaska. They had three children: Douglas, Nancy and Wayne. The years in Alaska would be a major influence on the family’s future. All three offspring returned to Alaska as adults and it is still home to extended family. The Fulton family returned to Pennsylvania in 1958 and lived in Penn Pines, Upper Darby, until 1976.

In 1976, Peggy married Dierk Rakula, a remarkable man who emigrated from Germany following WWII and who was Director of Engineering at Clifton Precision. His career allowed Peggy to travel with him to Europe and Israel. They shared a lovely and loving home in Media until his death in 2014.

Peggy is survived by her three children: Douglas Fulton (Jeanne Passin), Nancy Fulton Johnson (Craig), Wayne Fulton (Linda); was Grammy to seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren; Aunt Peg to niece Tracy Merson Gray (Dean), nephew Gary Merson (Cheryl) and two grand-nieces. Her sister, Carole Merson, passed in 1980.

Family members from Alaska, California and New York will join family from Drexel Hill and Haverford in honoring our amazing and devoted Grammy.

Visitation: Friday, January 9th after 10:30AM at 2900 State Rd. Drexel Hill, PA 19026, followed by a service at 11:00AM.

Interment: Arlington Cemetery.