Peter J Bodge

Peter J. Bodge, 87, passed away on September 5, 2025, at Lawrence General Hospital in Lawrence, Massachusetts, the very hospital where he was born on December 6, 1937. An educator, artist, musician, self-taught jazz historian, and lifelong learner, Peter lived a vibrant life of creativity and curiosity.

Peter, aka the Artful Bodger, attended Portsmouth High School and Tilton Academy, earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of New Hampshire, served three years in the US Army, and earned a Master's degree at Cambridge College. After working as a labor organizer, he spent more than 50 years as an educator, primarily teaching art in high schools in California and Massachusetts, where his classrooms were hubs of creative expression and a safe haven for students who needed one. Peter also taught adult-education courses in art history and the history of jazz; adult-learning courses, including art for non-artists; and creative thinking for educators. In every instance, he encouraged his students to express themselves freely.

His love for jazz was a lifelong passion. As a child, inspired by his father, Peter taught himself to play drums and into his 70s moonlighted a professional musician on the New England jazz circuit. As a visual artist, Peter's work focused on his jazz heroes, from Billie Holiday and Duke Ellington to Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, and Eric Dolphy. His linoleum prints were featured in numerous solo and group exhibitions, and seven portraits are housed in the Smithsonian Institution, a testament to his unique vision. In recent years, Peter hosted monthly listening sessions for New Jersey-based music and arts nonprofit Seed Artists and created original artwork for their jazz festivals.

A few months before his passing, in partnership with Seed Artists, plans were finalized to donate Peter's extensive collection of several hundred jazz books to the Montclair Public Library. The jumping-off point for ongoing educational and music programming. On October 12, this generous gift will be unveiled as the Peter Bodge-Seed Artists Jazz Library, a lasting tribute to his lifelong devotion to sharing knowledge.

Peter's spirit lives on in those who knew him best: Amy Weinberg, his longtime life partner; his daughter, Trae Bodge Napierala; stepson, Juan Real; son-in-law, Chris Napierala; grandchildren Sadie Napierala, Sarah Real, and Justin Real; and his sister, Cindy Bodge. He was predeceased by his sister, Melinda Bodge, and by his parents, Mary and Fred Bodge.

Those who knew Peter will remember him as endlessly curious and exuberant-always creating, sharing, and seeking, sketchbook in hand. Whether it was a handmade book or card, a long story told in classic Peter Bodge style, an impromptu art history lesson at a museum, a curated bundle of articles, or an elaborately wrapped, carefully selected book, he was always teaching, always sharing.

In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations to Seed Artists to further Peter's legacy through the newly established Peter Bodge–Seed Artists Jazz Library at the Montclair Public Library: https://gofund.me/aebaadc95

May Peter's memory continue to inspire creativity, curiosity, and connection in all who were touched by his remarkabe life.

Memorial services will be held at a later date. Arrangments made by Driscoll Funeral Home, 309 South Main Street, Haverhill MA. For guestbook, visit www.driscollcares.com