Alice N Peltier

Alice Ford Peltier, age 89 passed away peacefully after a prolonged illness on December 15th, 2023. She was born in Port Jefferson, New York and grew up in Ridge, Long Island New York where she went to Ridge School, a one room schoolhouse. She later graduated from Port Jefferson High School at 16 years old and New Paltz State Teacher’s College in New York at 19 years old.

Alice moved to Tucson, Arizona in the 1960’s in attempts to aid the health of her first husband. She was widowed at the age of 38 years old. She worked for TUSD for 25+ years and was one of the first teachers to obtain a Masters Degree in Special Education from the University of Arizona. She was a woman who was a leader and advocate for women, teachers and equal rights for all. She worked with TUSD to add Martin Luther King and Memorial Day holidays. She was the strike picket chair for her school in the 70’s when the TUSD teachers went on strike (the district offered the teachers a raise that was just a small fraction of the current inflation rate). She also advocated for the retired teachers to keep the State of Arizona from raiding the teacher’s pension fund. She was one of the first women to obtain her own credit card (a year before the Equal Credit Opportunity Act was passed in 1974), however when she was asked what she wanted to be remembered for, she said “I did everything I could for my family”. She enjoyed traveling and sports especially the UA Ladycats.

Alice was preceded in death by her first husband Jack Ford, her parents Alice and William Santer and her brother William Santer. She is survived by her husband of 40 years William Peltier, her children Edward Ford (Sylvia), Alice Ford (Dave), Marjorie Ford Nenadich (Bill) and stepchildren Michaelette Mortensen (Owen), Hila Vassar (Tony) and Andrea Finley (Wayne) as well as many grandchildren and great grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to: The Pima County School Retirees Association for their college scholarship fund at: PCSRA 5902 E. Hawthorne St., Tucson, AZ 85711 (note college fund in memory of Alice Peltier on check memo). Services will be arranged by East Lawn Mortuary.