Eleanor Peterson

March 17, 1912 - March 10, 2010

Eleanor Peterson Obituary (Age 97) Passed away on March 10, 2010. She was born in Spokane on March 17, 1912 to Swedish immigrants Carl and Eda Peterson. She graduated with a BA/Masters in Education from Washington State College in Pullman, WA in 1933 and received her PhD in Psychology from Columbia University in New York, NY in 1953. She had a lifelong career in the Spokane School District spanning from 1933 through her retirement in 1977. She started as a high school teacher at North Central High School and went on to hold numerous roles within the school district, ending her career as Assistant Superintendent of Spokane Public Schools. She enlisted during the war serving as a lieutenant in the US Navy from 1941 - 1946 providing vocational counseling to soldiers. She was an active community volunteer, serving on the boards of Salem Lutheran Church, Salvation Army, Riverview Retirement Community, Zonta, Delta Kappa Gamma and Family Counseling Services. Eleanor published two high school textbooks, was a visiting instructor at numerous universities throughout the state and served on several education associations and education advisory boards both on a state and a national level. She was voted "Woman of Achievement" by the Spokane Education Association in 1966. In her spare time Eleanor could be found golfing, walking the course twice a week well into her 80s. Eleanor is survived by her nephews, Kevin (Alia), Jeff and Paul (Jacinta) and her niece, Stacy (Tom Peekema) and grand nephews and nieces; Andrew and Megan Peekema, Logan, Aubrey and Devon Peterson.