Laura Peabody Broad of Needham and Chatham, suddenly May 1, 2008. Beloved wife for 48 years of Russell S. Broad Jr. Loving mother of Kenneth F. Broad and his wife Jaclyn of Mill Valley, Calif., Laurie B. Grenier and her husband Tim of East Greenwich, R.I., and Douglas M. Broad and his wife Kimberly of North Grafton, Mass.
Daughter of Myron and Ruth Peabody, Laura was born and raised in Springfield, Mass., along with her brother, Farnham Peabody, who died fighting in Italy in World War II. She graduated from Springfield's Classical High School in 1953 and Mount Holyoke College in 1957 with a BA degree. Upon graduation from Mount Holyoke, Laura was hired as an elementary school teacher in the Concord public schools and worked there while completing her Masters in Education from Harvard University, which she received in 1958.
Laura and Russell met during the summer of 1955 while she was working as a nanny and he as a bell hop at Chatham Bars Inn on Cape Cod. The couple were married on June 27, 1959, in Springfield and lived in an apartment in Arlington, Mass. Residents of Needham for more than 46 years, they moved to their first house at 262 Forest Street in 1962, before moving to their current home at 94 Mayflower Road in 1965.
While busy raising her three young children, Laura co-authored two widely-acclaimed books on early childhood education, including The Playgroup Handbook in 1974 and Kits for Kids in 1980. Still in print after more than 30 years, The Playgroup Handbook has been translated into numerous foreign languages and is recognized as an "indispensible handbook" that is used as resource to this day by parents, playgroups and teachers for hundreds of imaginative activities using ordinary materials found in any home. During these years Laura also served as a tutor across a wide range of subjects to numerous children attending the elementary and middle schools in Needham.
From the late 1980s until 2000, Laura served on the faculty at Dean College and then Pine Manor College in the child study centers, which provide developmentally appropriate preschool, extended day and camp programs for children two years and nine months through five years of age from surrounding communities. The child study centers also serve as an on-campus site for students from the colleges to observe and work with young children under the supervision of the professional staff. In addition to her work at the child study centers, Laura also taught courses and led seminars at the colleges for students pursuing degrees in early childhood education.
In 2000, Laura retired from teaching to devote all of her time, love and experience - in fact, she devoted her life - to helping to raise her nine grandchildren, Meredith, Madelyn, Justin, Anna, Jackson, Alyssa, Daniel, Kate and Jared.
Touching the lives of many through her teaching, tutoring, community involvement, neighborhood relationships and truly anyone she met, Laura will be forever remembered as the best wife, mother and grandmother who ever lived.
A memorial service and celebration of her life will be held at the Congregational Church of Needham, located at 1154 Great Plain Ave., on Saturday, May 10th at 11:00 a.m. Relatives, neighbors and friends are kindly invited. Visiting hours will be held at the Eaton Funeral Home, located at 1351 Highland Ave. in Needham, on Friday, May 9th, from 4-8 p.m. For directions or to send a note of condolence, contact Eaton Funeral Home at 1-781-444-0201 or www.eatonfuneralhomes.com.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Laura P. Broad Fund at Pine Manor College, Attn: Susan Webber, 400 Heath Street, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467-2332. All donations will benefit the Child Study Center where she was a beloved teacher.