Janet Harrison Peterson
December 30, 2009
ROCKPORT — Janet Harrison (Motherway) Peterson, 99, wife of the late
Roland F. Peterson, formerly of 42 High St., Rockport, and Walpole, died
on Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2009 in Indianapolis.
She was born in Gloucester on Oct. 19, 1910, daughter of the late
James and Emma (Londergon) Motherway. She married Roland Francis
Peterson in Washington, D.C. on July 24, 1942 and is survived by her
daughter, Marcia L. Miller and her husband John W. Miller of
Indianapolis; and her son, Mark F. Peterson of Gaithersburg, Md. "Nanna"
was survived by four grandchildren, M. Amy (Peterson) Almeida of West
Chester, Pa., Andrew F. Peterson of Boston, J. Elliott Miller of
Indianapolis and Elizabeth L. Peterson of Boston; and three
great-grandchildren, Ellen, Charlie and Chloe Almeida.
Janet was a graduate of Gloucester High School, Class of 1928 and a
cum laude graduate of Tufts University, Class of 1932, with a B.A. in
French. Janet was Vice President and General Manager of Suburban Girl, a
Division of E.P. Reardon Associates, in Dedham, from 1967 to her
retirement in Rockport in 1977. While leading Suburban Girl, Janet grew
it from a startup to the leading temporary and permanent administrative
staffing agency serving the high-tech Metro West market.
Janet's hobbies were bridge and gardening. She earned her first World
Bridge Federation Masters points in a World-Wide Duplicate bridge
tournament when she was 75. Her retirement allowed her to develop a
multi-season flower garden in her Rockport yard where many artists and
photographers sought permission to paint and shoot her garden, which she
always granted. Her favorite painting which hung in her room was titled
by the artist "Rockport's First Garden."
ARRANGEMENTS: Her funeral Mass will be celebrated on Friday, April
30, 2010 at 9:30 a.m. at Our Lady of Good Voyage Church, Gloucester.
Relatives and friends are cordially invited to attend. The burial will
be held in Oak Hill Cemetery, Gloucester. In lieu of flowers,
contributions can be made in her memory to Meals on Wheels, c/o Senior
Care, 5 Blackburn Center, Gloucester, MA 01930 or to the Our Lady of
Good Voyage Church Bell Restoration Fund, 142 Prospect St., Gloucester,
MA 01930. Funeral arrangements are by the Greely Funeral Home, 212
Washington St., Gloucester. Online condolences may be given at
www.greelyfuneralhome.com
