Obituary of Gail Jeanne Petersen

Gail Jeanne Irwin Petersen died on Sunday, May 15, 2011, after a courageous battle with cancer. She was born in Iowa City, Iowa on April 9, 1951, to Dr. Jesse and Betty Irwin. She received a B.A. from the University of Iowa in 1972, her M.A. in 1988 and her Ph.D. in 1995 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in comparative literature. She married Kim P. Petersen on a cold Jan. 6, 1973, in Iowa City. They had a wonderful 38 years of married life and were blessed with the birth of their son, Matthew Todd on Oct. 31, 1974; his marriage to a wonderful daughter-in-law, Carrie Greenquist on May 20, 1995, and the birth of a delightful granddaughter, Ellen on June 28, 2002. Gail was a teacher of English and humanities and was director of studies at St. Katherine's/St. Mark's School in Bettendorf, Iowa. She was later on the faculty of the Department of Comparative Literature at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for four years. After receiving her Ph.D. she taught English and was the English Department chair and drama director at Belleville High School, in Belleville, Wis. In 1995 Gail and Kim started their own company, Elder Advocates, Inc., a consulting company for persons with dementia and their caregivers. She was the cognitive specialist in the South Central Wisconsin Memory Diagnostic Center and helped Kim provide dementia diagnoses and management. During this time she also developed many training manuals and products. Gail and Kim gave numerous lectures, workshops and trainings. They helped establish 16 memory diagnostic centers throughout the U.S. Gail worked closely with the Alzheimer's and Dementia Alliance of Wisconsin. Gail was also an accomplished quilter, gardener and cook. She had a true passion for reading. Gail loved to open her home to friends and family and was a gracious hostess. She especially loved to pass on her needle, gardening and cooking skills to her granddaughter. She loved drama and was a continual supporter of American Players Theater. She is survived by her husband, Kim; her son and daughter-in-law, Matthew and Carrie; her granddaughter, Ellie; her mother, Betty Irwin; and her aunt, Jean Johnson. She was preceded in death by her father, Jesse Irwin; and her grandparents. Graveside memorial services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Friday, June 10, 2011 at Memory Gardens Cemetery in Iowa City. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that any donations be made to the Alzheimer's and Dementia Alliance of Wisconsin, 517 North Segoe Road, Suite 301, Madison, WI 53705. The family wants to express their sincere thanks to Dr. Michael Huie and staff at the Oncology Department at Meriter Hospital. The family also wants to thank the staff at the Don and Marilyn Anderson Hospice Home in Fitchburg for making Gail's last days peaceful, comfortable and dignified.