1969
Jean
2018
Jean Peterson
December 31, 1969 — August 28, 2018
Jean Barbour Peterson, a dedicated builder of communities, passed away on Tuesday, August 28th, 2018, at the age of 83.
Born in 1935 in Lansdale, Jean grew up in Philadelphia and New Jersey. She graduated from Drew University, then obtained a master’s degree in teaching from the University of Pittsburgh and taught elementary school in Wilkinsburg in the early 1960s after marrying Joel Peterson, professor of engineering at Pitt. Together they raised their two children, Jennifer and Ken, in Churchill in a joy filled home. This happiness was heightened by seeing her six grandchildren, Matthew, Katie and Andrew Magruder, and Anika, Alanna and Kara Peterson, grow into wonderful people whom she cherished.
She was preceded in death by her husband Joel Peterson, her mother Flora MacLennan, her father Russell Barbour and her stepmother Ruth Barbour. She is survived by her children and grandchildren, her three sisters, Nancy Miller, Sally Barbour and Robin Barbour, and her sister-in-law, Karin Clark, and a strong and supportive, extended family.
Jean loved people and had a wonderful way of helping them come together for the betterment of all. She was a peacemaker, a resolver of issues, and a whole lot of fun! When Jean created a group, people often came as strangers but left as friends.
In the 1970s, while raising her family, she was an amazing Girl Scout leader, church school teacher, and was involved with the PTA in the Churchill school system. She taught and designed courses in swimming for everyone from babies to seniors at the Wilmerding YMCA and through Red Cross courses in the 1970s and 80s, and was instrumental in building the Blackridge pool. In the 1990s, after an organ transplant that saved her life, she dedicated herself to volunteering at Presby Hospital to help others who waited and healed through the gift of organ donation. For the past 20 years, Jean found great joy in singing and playing autoharp with her church choirs and folk orchestra. She also loved to encourage others to write about their life stories and greatly enjoyed her writing groups and teaching writing courses at Carnegie Mellon’s Osher Institute.
Throughout it all, Jean made strong, lifelong friends. She considered herself incredibly fortunate for her Blackridge gang, her church family at the First Unitarian Church, college friends, and her strong extended family ties.
Donations in her memory can be made by an investment of your time. In celebration of her life, we invite you to build some community somewhere as you see fit. It is an investment that takes effort, but Jean always felt it came back ten-fold. May it be so for you.
A celebration of her life will be held on Saturday, September 15th at 2PM at the First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh on Morewood Avenue. All are welcome.
Born in 1935 in Lansdale, Jean grew up in Philadelphia and New Jersey. She graduated from Drew University, then obtained a master’s degree in teaching from the University of Pittsburgh and taught elementary school in Wilkinsburg in the early 1960s after marrying Joel Peterson, professor of engineering at Pitt. Together they raised their two children, Jennifer and Ken, in Churchill in a joy filled home. This happiness was heightened by seeing her six grandchildren, Matthew, Katie and Andrew Magruder, and Anika, Alanna and Kara Peterson, grow into wonderful people whom she cherished.
She was preceded in death by her husband Joel Peterson, her mother Flora MacLennan, her father Russell Barbour and her stepmother Ruth Barbour. She is survived by her children and grandchildren, her three sisters, Nancy Miller, Sally Barbour and Robin Barbour, and her sister-in-law, Karin Clark, and a strong and supportive, extended family.
Jean loved people and had a wonderful way of helping them come together for the betterment of all. She was a peacemaker, a resolver of issues, and a whole lot of fun! When Jean created a group, people often came as strangers but left as friends.
In the 1970s, while raising her family, she was an amazing Girl Scout leader, church school teacher, and was involved with the PTA in the Churchill school system. She taught and designed courses in swimming for everyone from babies to seniors at the Wilmerding YMCA and through Red Cross courses in the 1970s and 80s, and was instrumental in building the Blackridge pool. In the 1990s, after an organ transplant that saved her life, she dedicated herself to volunteering at Presby Hospital to help others who waited and healed through the gift of organ donation. For the past 20 years, Jean found great joy in singing and playing autoharp with her church choirs and folk orchestra. She also loved to encourage others to write about their life stories and greatly enjoyed her writing groups and teaching writing courses at Carnegie Mellon’s Osher Institute.
Throughout it all, Jean made strong, lifelong friends. She considered herself incredibly fortunate for her Blackridge gang, her church family at the First Unitarian Church, college friends, and her strong extended family ties.
Donations in her memory can be made by an investment of your time. In celebration of her life, we invite you to build some community somewhere as you see fit. It is an investment that takes effort, but Jean always felt it came back ten-fold. May it be so for you.
A celebration of her life will be held on Saturday, September 15th at 2PM at the First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh on Morewood Avenue. All are welcome.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Jean Peterson, please visit our flower store.
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