Barbara Peck

Barbara Cordes Peck (Babs), a loving and exceptional woman who fulfilled many roles, was born in Brooklyn, NY to Ruth Emma Christenson and Milton (Mike) Cordes. Some of her favorite childhood memories in Brooklyn were sledding in Prospect Park, visits to Coney Island and riding on her grandpa's horse-drawn grocery store delivery wagon. Later in her teenage years in Lynbrook, NY, she enjoyed Point Lookout Beach and participating in sports and academics. She graduated from Malverne High School in 1952, Buffalo State Teachers College (BA) in 1956 and SUNY Brockport (MA) in 1958. She began her teaching career with the Kenmore-Tonawanda, NY School District and then relocated to Rochester, NY to join the Rochester City School District. She remained there until retiring to Santa Fe, NM in 1993. In 2012, she and her husband, Jim, moved to Boulder, CO to be closer to family.

Babs was a leader and an academic to her core. She was an active member of the Rochester Teacher's Association and guided Union negotiations and policy. In the classroom, she taught about thirty energetic kindergarteners for thirty-three years and was an outspoken advocate for the assistance of underprivileged children. Throughout her life, Babs collaborated with many community organizations and always brought a passionate voice to the table. She loved to teach and she loved to learn. She kept a stack of notebooks filled with facts and figures from her daily research and often proclaimed... "It's always a good day when you learn something new".

In 1972, she met her husband, James S. Peck (Jim), who was seated beside her at a Bette Midler concert. They would celebrate "Bette Midler Day" together for the next forty-four years. Their marriage brought a wonderful expansion of the Cordes/Peck family. They took great joy in watching the family flourish.

Babs was a master gardener and employed her indentured children to tend the rows. She was an outstanding cook, but her favorite part of dining was setting a spectacular table for her guests. She was a perspicacious individual and had a keen perspective on life and a clever sense of humor. She kept company with interesting and creative folks and enjoyed reading, wine tasting and photography. She had an eye behind the lens that an Army Signal Corps Photographer (husband Jim) grew to admire. They would share photography projects together and her prints graced their residence.

Impatient by her own admission, she liked to keep moving and enjoyed traveling with family and friends. Beginning as a grad student, and through the decades, she was fortunate to see much of the world. Even at age eighty-seven, and challenged by mobility, she was "considering another cruise".

Though, as it must come, and itchy for adventure, she instead traveled to the stars on Sunday, August 21st, 2022.

Babs was a wonderful person, left her mark on family, friends and society and will be missed beyond measure.

She was predeceased by: husband, James Sattley Peck; parents, Milton (Mike) and Ruth Emma Cordes. She is survived by: brother, Gary (Dodie) Cordes; sister, Susan Randolph; children - Leslie Peck (Tom) Addicks, Christen Peck, Claudia Peck Kiousis; son-in-law, Panos Kiousis, PhD; daughter-in-law, Julie Peck; grandchildren - Kate (Keith) Asher, Susie (Mac) McInerney, James (Jenny) Kiousis, Ruth Kiousis; great grandchildren - Aiden Asher, Liam Asher, Desmond McInerney; nephew, Karl (Emily) Cordes; grandnieces - Freya Cordes and Eve Cordes.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: League of Women Voters of the United States, www.lwv.org; Community Food Share, www.communityfoodshare.org; Rocky Mountain Public Media, www.rmpbs.org; Planned Parenthood Action Fund, www.plannedparenthoodaction.org; memo line "Barbara C Peck". Obituary and memorial: https://www.legacy.com/