Patricia Lennig Peterson
Patricia Lennig Peterson, fondly known as “Patter”, 77, loving mother, grandmother, and horticulturalist, died on June 4 peacefully at her home at the Hill at Whitemarsh.
She was employed as a care consultant, retail manager, landscape designer, primary education teacher and a life-long volunteer in local and national garden clubs.
Patter was honored by both the Garden Club of Philadelphia and the Garden Club of America. She received multiple awards and recognitions including the Medal of Merit for Horticulture and Historic Preservation. She assisted in the establishment of the Chestnut Hill Flower Show and secured the GCA Founder’s Fund Award for the Awbury Arboretum.
Patter was born and raised in Andalusia, PA. She attended Springside School and Bennett College in Millbrook, NY.
She is survived by her sons, Charles M Peterson, III of Erdenheim, PA; Ted L Peterson of Ross, CA and Nicholas H Peterson of Nassau, Bahamas; three grandsons and four granddaughters.
A private memorial service will be scheduled for Saturday June 29th followed by a reception at the Hill at Whitemarsh in Lafayette Hill, PA starting at 2pm. Memorial contributions may be made to the Awbury Arboretum, One Awbury Road Philadelphia PA 19138-1505 or www.awbury.org/give.
We are so sorry for your loss. Patter was a long-time friend of Awbury Arboretum and her legacy lives on here today more ways than we can count. In 2002, Patter worked to help secure the GCA Founder’s Fund Award for Awbury. Funds from the award enabled Awbury to turn a little-used 4-acre corner of the Arboretum into “The Secret Garden” – a place of active learning and engagement for people of all ages. For nearly 2 decades, The Secret Garden has been a prime location for childrens’ environmental education lessons at Awbury, and has served as a living classroom for lessons about horticulture, bird life, seasons, and many other important topics. In 2017, Awbury installed “AdventureWoods,” a new natural materials playground in the Secret Garden, and the addition has engaged hundreds of additional children and families from the local communities surrounding the Arboretum with this area through encouraging self-guided play and exploration. The Secret Garden is visited weekly throughout the school year by kindergarteners at neighboring Wissahickon Charter School, and summer campers spend many of their camp days in this area. Patter’s passion for horticulture and education has forever changed Awbury, and touched the lives of thousands who may never have had the opportunity to birdwatch, plant a tree, search for insects beneath a rotting log, or simply enjoy a peaceful moment in nature but for the presence of the Secret Garden.