Judith Peabody Dies At 80
I can’t say I was well-acquainted with Judith D. Peabody, a socially prominent New York philanthropist who died on Sunday at the age of 80. (She is pictured here with her husband, Samuel P. Peabody.) But while reading her obituary today in the New York Times, I flashed back to our initial encounter. I was seated next to her at a luncheon given at the late, lamented New York restaurant Chanterelle. We had many things to talk about: dancing (she had been chairwoman of Dance Theater of Harlem), theater (she was a longtime board member of the New York Shakespeare Festival), and AIDS activism (she was a tireless volunteer for Gay Men’s Health Crisis). Late in the luncheon, however, our talk turned to death, and far from being morbid the conversation was quite upbeat. She said she wanted to die in bed at her Fifth Avenue apartment, with quiet, beautiful music playing. Well, she did die at home with quiet, beautiful music playing. Sometimes, the gods are beneficent.
It’s a terrible tragedy that Judith Peabody has passed away. You can help remember her by contributing to her memorial website at http://judithpeabody.people2remember.com/