Jody Petner

Josephine (Jody) D. Petner (Damiani) a Lexington resident for 50 years, passed to eternal life peacefully on Monday, January 13, 2025, holding the hand of her devoted husband of 53 years, Joe. A nurturer at heart, Jody always made sure there was a table full of food, endless love and plenty of laughter surrounding her friends and family. Born in Camden, New Jersey on March 21, 1950, Jody was the middle sister born to Elizabeth (Zacchei) and Joseph Damiani.
Throughout her younger years in Woodstown, New Jersey, Jody was known as a social butterfly, involved in every club and extracurricular activity that was offered. Her favorites included cheerleading, field hockey, tennis and the 4-H club. She would often share stories of her childhood with fondness mostly involving her sisters, Kathy and Betsy and her cousins who have remained like sisters to this day.
After graduating High School in 1968, Jody attended George Washington University where she majored in Psychology and Education. It was here that she discovered a love of learning and a passion for teaching. After college, Jody started her career in teaching as an elementary school counselor in Grand Forks, ND, while taking graduate courses and learning as much as she could from her colleagues. After moving to Massachusetts, she worked for two years in a special education program in Cambridge before embarking on her greatest job, being a mom to Allison and Caroline. She excelled at every aspect of motherhood, creating cherished memories and opportunities for her children. Upon returning to the classroom in Lexington Public Schools, she worked in special education and then a 6th grade social studies teacher at Clarke Middle School. It was here that she described every day as a joy, making a lasting impression on many students and finding colleagues that became her close friends.
After retiring in 2010, the things that made her happiest were spending time with her family and friends, gardening, cooking and enjoying her time in West Island and Florida. Her greatest joy was spending time with her grandchildren, Jacob, Lilly and Nico; attending their sporting events, teaching them the family secrets of her cooking or having a rowdy game of trivial pursuit. These are the simple memories that will continue to live on as her legacy.
Jody is survived by her loving husband, Joe Petner; her daughters, Allison Watts and her husband, Andy of Lexington, MA, Caroline Ortiz and her partner, Peter Arcari of Bayonne, NJ; her three cherished grandchildren, Jacob and Lilly Watts and Nico Ortiz; her sister Kathy Davidson of Columbia, MD; her brother-in-law Stephen Andress of Bedford, MA; her nieces and nephews, Christopher, Laura, William and Abigail and many other extended relatives. She was predeceased by her parents, Elizabeth and Joseph Damiani, her sister Betsy Andress, her niece Elizabeth Andress, and many dear aunts and uncles. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Jody's name can be made to the Pan Mass Challenge to advance the treatment of cancer using the identifier JP0038. Jody and her family have been part of this Dana Farber Cancer Institute fundraising event for the past 30 years.
Visiting Hours will be held at Douglass Funeral Home, 51 Worthen Rd, Lexington, MA on Sunday, January 19th from 2:00 - 5:00 pm. Memorial Mass will be held at Sacred Heart Parish, 16 Follen Rd, Lexington on Monday, January 20th at 10:00 am.