Jean Henrietta Peters

Jean Henrietta (McLeod) Peters, 94, of Corvallis, passed away peacefully on February 15, 2023 surrounded by her children. She was born on July 3, 1928 to Neil and Catherine (Sands) McLeod in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. Jean packed a lot of punch in a small package! From the first girl newspaper carrier in Vancouver, to her college summer job as the “gas girl” at a marine gas station at Dawson’s Landing off Queen Charlotte Sound, Jean was a pioneer for equal pay for equal work. Asked to keep the books and fuel boats for 1,000 fishermen and loggers when the “gas boy” quit, she said, “I’ll do the job if you pay me the same as the boy”. After being told, “medicine and food science were not for girls”, she graduated from the University of British Columbia (UBC) in 1950 with a B.S. in Nutrition Science that was followed by a Dietetic Internship at Vancouver General Hospital in 1951. She began her career as a dietitian at Prince Rupert General Hospital in northern B.C. and also joined the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Reserve (WRCNS) as a lieutenant. A year later she was offered a position as the first provincial "shared services" dietitian for three small hospitals Langley, Mission and Abbotsford in B.C.’s Fraser Valley. It frequently meant travel by snowplow during the winter! Soon adventure called again so she traveled across Canada to Ottawa, Ontario to become a Messing Officer with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, which involved running a barracks for Mountie recruits. In 1955, she started graduate studies at Michigan State University before returning to teach at UBC and serve as an ROTC Officer. “Hell bent on a career gal life”, she moved to Corvallis in 1958 for a teaching and research position in Foods & Nutrition at Oregon State University, while continuing graduate studies. Little did she know this landing spot at OSU and Corvallis would turn into a 33 year career and become her home for the next 64 years! Jean’s completion of her graduate studies were slowed down by the birth of two children but her hard earned master’s degree was finally awarded in 1964. Her primary research area was vitamin B6 methodology but there were some interesting side excursions into the analysis of Elephant Milk and Cultural foods of the Warm Springs Tribes. It involved visits to the Portland Zoo and to special Native American festivals in Central and Eastern Oregon. Both resulted in interesting publications. She kept her students interested by telling them about milking elephants at the Portland Zoo and how she kept her Mountie horse and red coat close by! Jean primarily taught large classes of over 150 students, often staying up to the wee hours of the night with a pot of hot coffee, grading stacks of exams. In 1989, she was promoted to Interim Associate Dean for undergraduate studies – College of Home Economics and Education. Jean retired from OSU in June of 1991. Jean was recognized with many honors and awards during her career at OSU and in the community. She received the OSU Elizabeth P. Ritchie Distinguished Professor Faculty Award in 1981, the Ella Teal Westley Counselor of the Year – OSU College of Home Economics in 1989, the OSU Home Economics Alumni Distinguished Faculty Award in 1990, the OHEA Oregon Home Economist of the Year in 1991, Oregon Cascades West Council of Governments - Senior Services Volunteer of the year in 1995, and Corvallis Senior First Citizen in 1996. She served on the boards of many national, state and local organizations and as president of the following state or local entities: B.C. Dietetic Assn., the Oregon Home Economic Assn, Cascade West Senior Services Foundation, Altrusa Club of Corvallis, OSU Retirement Assn (OSURA), Academy for Lifelong Learning (ALL), and Assn of Retired Oregon Public Employees (AROPE). She was initiated into Sigma Xi Research, Blue Key and Omicron Nu Scholastic Honoraries. She chaired the OSU Baccalaureate Core Committee and the OSU President’s Commission on Human Rights & Responsibilities. Jean was a loyal Beaver but she married a Duck, Allen “Pete” Peters, in 1959! Pete had a 30 year career with the Corvallis Gazette Times as Advertising Manager, General Manager and Assistant to the Publisher. They had 56 great years together, enjoying travel all over the United States and to countries in Asia, Europe and South America, as well as Australia and New Zealand. Some of these trips were in conjunction with Rotary International Conventions and the Peters' home was often the host to OSU international students and Rotary exchange students. Pete and Jean frequently spent time at the vacation home they built at Tollgate near Sisters, OR. Although proud of her Canadian heritage, Jean got tired of not being able to vote in local elections so became a US citizen in 1976. In more recent years, Jean found great enjoyment and support from her Fitness Over Fifty family – attending three times a week for exercise and a coffee social! She was also active with philanthropic service groups Altrusa Club of Corvallis and PEO – BP Chapter. Giving back to their community was important to Jean and Pete and at a ceremony in 2022, the Benton Community Foundation recognized the Allen & Jean Peters Family Community Grant Fund for its dedication and commitment to bettering the BCF Community Grants Program. While Jean had many accomplishments throughout her life, her most significant was as a loving, supportive and encouraging mom and grandma. She is survived by daughter Kathy (Shawn) Dooley and son Steve (Cathy) Peters, grandchildren Meagan Dooley, Nikki (Mike) Malland, Kellen Dooley, Lexi Peters, brother Neil McLeod, and several nieces and cousins. She was preceded in death by husband Pete, and beloved grandson Zach Peters. Thank you to Timberhill Place and Lumina Hospice for their compassionate care and assistance to Jean and her family. Memorial contributions may be made to the Benton Community Foundation’s Allen & Jean Peters Family Community Grant Fund, supporting basic needs and educational needs of children, youth, and families. A celebration of life will take place on Sunday, March 26, 2pm, at OSU’s CH2M Hill Alumni Center, 725 SW 26th Street, Corvallis. McHenry Funeral Home is handling arrangements.

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Jean Henrietta Peters

July 3, 1928 - February 15, 2023