Joan Peterson Phillips

December 7, 1929 – January 21, 2025

Joan was predeceased by her beloved husband, Ron. She is survived by her three children, Todd P. (Kristina) Phillips, Bradley A. Phillips, and Leesa (Greg) Coutant, granddaughters Katelyn (Thomas McAfee) Phillips, Megan (Seth) Wile, Molly (Harout) Babigian, Amy (Michael) Traughber, Rachel Coutant, Sara (Markanthony) Rizzo, great-grandsons Melkon, Ahren, and Emrys Babigian, Cole and Everett McAfee, and brothers William Peterson and Kenneth (Marge) Peterson.

Joan grew up in Buffalo, New York. She moved to Rochester in 1949 to serve as Assistant to the Minister of Spencer Ripley Methodist Church.

She was an active member of Asbury First United Methodist Church for more than seventy years. One of her noteworthy activities at Asbury, beginning in 1988, was to organize sixteen Biblical tours abroad including five trips to The Holy Land, also St. Paul’s Greece and John Wesley’s England. She and her late husband were co-founders in 1953 of an Adult Church School class that met for over sixty-five years and where life-long friendships were formed.

Joan committed her life to Jesus Christ at age 11 years and was deeply grateful to her denomination, The United Methodist Church, for all the spiritual growth and leadership opportunities she was given. In her teenage years, she served as President of the Buffalo District Methodist Youth Fellowship, then President of the Genesee Conference MYF and was also involved with the MYF Northeastern USA Jurisdiction. She served on the boards of the Rochester District United Methodist Women, The Monroe Foundation, Camp Koinonia, and 15 years on the board of the former senior residence Wesley-On-East. She and her husband served as Co-Chair of the Rochester District Family Life Council and were volunteer directors of family camps at Watson Homestead for many summers.

Joan was a member of the BB Chapter of PEO. She always had a deep appreciation of The Osher Institute at R.I.T. where she participated for many years in numerous classes and made many close friends.

Joan was devoted to family and friends of all ages. She loved anything purple, jellybeans, and writing poetry. She was proud of her Swedish heritage and cherished memories of growing up in Buffalo. Joan had a deep love for the city of Jerusalem in Israel, and she had a lifelong commitment to her studies of theology, world religions, philosophy, and national politics.

She will be remembered by family and friends for her spirit of gratefulness which she continually communicated to the people around her and which she expressed in the midst of each season and circumstance.

Her family gratefully acknowledges the staff at The Friendly Home’s Linden Knoll Apartments for her many happy years of living in such a wonderful place.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, May 16, 2:00 p.m. at Asbury First United Methodist Church in Rochester. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Outreach Center of Asbury First United Methodist Church.