Marcia JoAnn "Pete" Jones

New London - Marcia JoAnn "Pete" Jones passed away Jan. 9, 2010, after battling a series of illnesses in New London, at the age of 86.

Born March 2, 1923, in Detroit, Mich., Pete, known to most as "Pete" because her maiden name was Peterson, lived much of her childhood in Ann Arbor, Mich. with summers in Duxbury, Mass.

She earned her B.A. and masters degree in English from the University of Michigan, where she was twice awarded Hopwood Awards for her creative writing.

She married Kevin, a Navy pilot, on June 14, 1945. As Kevin pursued a career in physics, petroleum engineering, and computer science, they lived in Ann Arbor; Oak Ridge, Tenn.; Chicago, Ill.; Lawrence, Kans.; Medellin, Colombia; Raleigh, N.C.; Ridgefield, Conn.; and Newark, Dele., before arriving in Groton, in 1973. During this time she was the quintessential loving "super Mom" and devoted spouse, balancing the needs of her five children and husband, while still accomplishing an amazing array of civic duties.

An organizational wunderkind, she volunteered with the League of Women Voters, PTA and Planned Parenthood. She also served on the Conservation Commission and Board of Education for the Town of Groton, on the Southeast Area Transit District board, and in New London worked for Project Oceanology and served on the board of All Souls Unitarian Church. She was instrumental in several fundraising efforts. She taught English Literature at the University of Kansas and at St. Mary's College in Raleigh.

Pete excelled at tennis, a lifelong passion, and her competitive nature won her numerous tournaments. After she and Kevin opened SPOK! Racquetball Club in New London, in 1976, Pete pushed her racquet skill to new heights, winning the International Racquetball Federation Over-65 World Championship in 1992. She enjoyed hiking, skiing, sailing, canoeing and bicycling.

After she turned 70, she and Kevin drove from Connecticut to, and throughout, Mexico. In their later years, they also hosted numerous foreign exchange students.

Pete lived life with passion and strong convictions. She contributed to countless progressive organizations. She enjoyed lively conversations and playing games. She had a wry and sarcastic wit. Pete also had a stoic disposition, allowing her to withstand pain, including once enduring a drive across the southern United States with a broken shoulder. She eschewed sentimentality as a sign of weakness, so don't go there!

A prodigious reader, Pete could often be found late at night sleeping awkwardly in her favorite chair, with a book still propped in her hand.

She leaves behind daughter and son-in-law, Marcia and Jeff Dysart of Baltimore, Md.; son and daughter-in-law, Lauren and Vivien Jones of Providence; son and daughter-in-law, Brock Jones and Judith Sommerjones of Columbia, Mo.; and son, Whitney Jones, of San Francisco, Calif. Other survivors include grandchildren, Dylan Jones, of Los Angeles, and Hayden and Carson Jones, of Providence; Zoee Sommer and Nate Sommerstack, of Columbia, Mo.; and Amalia and Bronwen Jones, of San Francisco, and her siblings, Ward Peterson, of Dearborn, Mich., and Mary Stauffer, of Sandusky, Ohio, (and their spouses, Margaret Peterson and Mel Stauffer) and numerous nephews and nieces. Additional survivors include cousin, Pat Peterson; her Breakfast Club pals; and special friends with whom she shared idyllic vacation weeks every summer in Westport, N.Y.

Her husband of sixty-three years, Kevin Rice Jones; son, Griffith Jones; and sister, Jane Peterson, preceded her in death.

A memorial service commemorating her and Kevin's lives will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2010, at All Souls Unitarian Church, 19 Jay Street, New London.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Planned Parenthood or the progressive, community, or environmental organization of your choice.