Doris Balson Freiman Peskin died May 9, 2011, at Stonebridge in Montgomery, N.J. Known to family and friends as Dot, she was born in Newark, N.J., to Frances (Fanny) Balson and Samson (Sam) Freiman on December 28, 1919, and spent her childhood in nearby West Orange in a lively household full of music, talk, and people welcomed by her gregarious parents. Some came for dinner and stayed for months; a few were relatives but most were people Sam had befriended and found interesting albeit a little down on their luck. Despite the commotion, Dot's musical talent was nurtured with daily practice on the piano, always with Fanny by her side, and Sunday afternoons set aside for listening to the New York Philharmonic concerts on the radio. Dot graduated from West Orange High School and received her B.A. in music from New Jersey College for Women (later Douglass College) in 1940. On a blind date, the petite, lively brunette met her match – Bill Peskin, a handsome upperclassman whose interests extended far beyond his ceramic engineering major into science, art, history and literature. Sam was thrilled – not only had Dot found the perfect husband, but he had acquired a bright new friend.

Married on September 12, 1941, shortly after Bill completed his naval officer training, the young couple spent most of the war years in Rochester, N.Y., where Bill's technical skills were employed by the navy at Eastman Kodak in the manufacture of optics for warships. There Richard Peskin was born, the first of four Peskin children. East Liverpool, Ohio, then center of the U.S. ceramics industry, was the family's home from 1946-54 and the place where Sarah and James were born. Though they had made lifelong friends in Ohio, and enjoyed being Cub Scout leaders and participants in community activities, the family moved to New Jersey when Bill was offered a job at the Carborundum Co., then located in Perth Amboy. They chose a home in Princeton because of its excellent schools and abundant cultural offerings, and lived there for nearly 50 years. Dot maintained an active musical life, even when the birth of youngest child Robert brought the household to six. She enjoyed playing chamber music with fellow members of Princeton's Friends of Music, and was a regular concertgoer at the university and in New York City. She thrived in her roles as mother to an active brood of children, community volunteer, and member of an extended family. In 1961 Bill took an assignment at Carborundum's European headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and the family embarked on an international adventure that was to change their lives. Settled in a French-speaking village with the children enrolled in local public schools, Dot and Bill gained new appreciation for the accomplishments of their immigrant parents. Unlike their parents at the turn of the century, though, they were able to travel widely in Europe, enjoying the countryside and experiencing the art, music and cuisine. They took memorable family trips through Denmark, England, France, and Italy. Dot took the train to Milan to join Bill after a business meeting to see Verdi's Aida performed at La Scala. By the time they returned to Princeton in 1963, Dot had become very interested in language learning, and began what was to become a new career. She started as a volunteer at Community Park School and later initiated an English for Speakers of Other Languages program in the Princeton Township Schools. She eventually completed a master's degree in education at Rutgers, and taught English at Princeton High School from 1967 to 1983, specializing in teaching English to speakers of other languages. She had many devoted students, some of whom kept in touch over the years. Greetings for her 90th birthday included: "...your wonderful indomitable spirit has touched my life and enriched it so much." "As one of the many foreign kids you befriended at Princeton High, I still remember your office as a safe haven and I remain grateful for the care and attention you gave me to start my American life."

Dot continued to embrace new interests throughout her life, becoming actively involved with the Princeton YWCA, Community Without Walls, and the Artisans Guild. She and Bill travelled often to visit their far-flung children, grandchildren, and niece Barbara Albert in London. Dot enjoyed attending High Holiday services at Princeton Hillel and made new friends in retirement when she helped to establish Princeton's local cable television channel. She was an original resident of Stonebridge at Montgomery when it opened in 2004, and generously shared her good humor, cheery greetings, and music with the other residents. Even as dementia was encroaching on her cognitive skills, she was teaching a staff member to play the piano on her beloved Steinway, which accompanied her everywhere she lived since she was a bride in 1941.

Predeceased by her husband, she is survived by her son Richard and wife Arden Peskin of St. Michael's, Md.; her daughter Sarah Peskin and husband William Kelley of Brookline, Mass.; her son James and wife Barbara Beise of South Orange, N.J.; her son Robert and wife Jenny Thompson of St. Paul, Minn.; by grandchildren Patrick Powell, Samuel Peskin, Benjamin Peskin and Eva Peskin, and her step-granddaughter Anna Thompson Barron; also by her nieces Barbara Albert and husband Timothy, Susan Kappy and husband Andrew, Lori Victor and husband Lewis, and Lisa Kosanovic and husband Beka, by her cousins Sarah and Gary Horowitz and by many dear friends and former students. Her family is especially grateful to her wonderful caregivers at Stonebridge.

The family will have a private funeral service. A memorial service will be scheduled at Stonebridge at Montgomery at a later date.

Contributions in lieu of flowers can be made to Princeton Community Television, 369 Witherspoon St. Princeton, NJ.