Gwendolyn E. PEACHER

PEACHER, Gwendolyn E.
Lover of the arts, especially dance, passed away in La Jolla, California on August 20, 1999. Widow of past President of Simpsons-Sears Ltd., the late Major General Douglas J. Peacher of the US Marine Corps, she earned a B.A. degree (cum laude) at the University of Minnesota and an M.A. at Northwestern University, Chicago. During her long and active life Gwendolyn served as Director of Education and Personnel at CBS-KNX in Hollywood, and as Assistant Professor of Dance at the University of Toronto. Her cultural activities included memberships in various museums and active participation in the Canada Group to the Mexican Cultural Olympics, and the Canadian Folk Arts Council. She served as President of the Gwendolyn Peacher Foundation for the Traditional Arts, the American Association of University Women, the International Society of Folk Dancing and the Royal Scottish Dance Society. Other organizations in which she held honoured positions included the International and North American Organizations of Folk Art. Mrs. Peacher is listed in the World's Who's Who of Women, and was knighted, Dame of the Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem in 1976. In October 1999 the Major General Douglas J. Peacher and Gwendolyn E. Peacher Memorial Hall will be dedicated at the Marine Military Academy in Harlingen, Texas. Mrs. Peacher is being buried at sea in a private ceremony. A memorial service will be held at the Mingei Museum, San Diego, California, at 5 pm., September 26, 1999. Memorial contributions may be made to a charity of your choice.