Jane Berkey Peterson
April 25, 1915 - July 12, 2011
Obituary
Jane was born April 25, 1915 to Charles Clinton and Carrie Irene Porter Berkey in Prosser, WA and passed away July 12, 2011 in Bellevue, WA at the age of 96. She was the last survivor of her sisters, Betty and Marion and brother, Paul. Jane was a kind and gentle person who was loved and will be missed by many.
She grew up in Spokane, WA and graduated from Lewis & Clark High School. Throughout her early years, Jane and her siblings studied music and graced the Spokane area with their performances. She played both piano and cello. Jane specialized in the cello, and despite her life-long lament of not having a longer little finger, she managed quite well.
Jane achieved excellence as a musician; she received scholarships to Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan and to the Cincinnati School of Music. Jane graduated from the University of Washington in Music Composition and shortly thereafter she joined the Seattle Symphony as a cellist.
She was a member of Alpha Xi Delta Sorority at the U.W. and met her future husband of 68 years, Virgil Peterson at a social exchange with Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity. They held season tickets to the Husky football games for 50 years. Virgil preceded her in death in 2009.
Long-time residents of Mercer Island, Virgil and Jane were well-travelled, the islands of the South Pacific being a favorite for them. They owned a condominium on Maui which served as their second home for ten years, making long-lasting friendships there. This was a very special place for both of them.
Jane is survived by her three children, Carol Keaton, Dale and Mark Peterson Suzanne Swadener; two grandchildren Shannon Shinnick Smock Cameron and Quincey Shinnick Trent Burr; and six great grand-children Kate, Matt and Eric Hisken and Jake, Roman and Heaven Burr.
A memorial gathering will be held at Bonney-Watson Washington Memorial Park of SeaTac on August 20 at 1:00 p.m. Donations may be made to a program in her name for elementary school children via the Maui Academy of Performing Arts, 81 N Church St, Wailuku, HI 96793, Attn: Adam Burke or for a charity of your choice. Her family thanks you.
To Jane’s family. So sorry I cannot be at the service as I am being honored by the Department of Corrections for Outstanding Volunteer Service in Gig Harbor that day. Jane was a great friend and sororiy sister and will miss her gentle spirit. My love and sympathy to her entire family. Love in Alpha Xi, Nancy Lowry.
I met the Peterson family in Hawaii the summer of 1959.
I was stationed a Navy base serving my time.
It was at Waikiki beach that I met Carol and Dale.
They introduced me to their mom and dad.
Needless to say they treated me as their own.
Later In September I transferred to Bremerton ,Washington
The next four months I was once again like their own spending days and nights at their home.
All of this is to say that the entire family represented the ultimate in Christian love.
To this day I am forever thankful to all in the family.
And yes I really liked Carol!
I am trying to locate Dale.
Tom Kincannon
Tom.kincannon@yahoo.com
Stephen schabel md
My dad frank m schabel jr UW 1939 was a fraternity brother in pi K A of Virgil’s and he a mother remained freinds after graduation and wwII. I am writing. My memoir and in searching mother’s papers found a letter to them in 1943 at their marriage from Virgil that got me looking further .dad died in 1984 @ 65 and mother in 2012 @ 93. I had not heard from my folks about Jane’s chello playing. I envy you all- it is my favorite instrument.