Phyllis C. (Cessna) Pere
Phyllis Pere Obituary
Phyllis C. Pere was born in Colerain Township, Bedford County, PA, to Fred Luray Cessna and Catherine Weaverling Cessna. She grew up in the Bedford area and in Cumberland County, MD with her brother, the late Jere Cessna. She attended Bedford High School and studied for two years at Gettysburg College, where she met her first husband, David H. Hough. They had three children: David A. (Katharine) Hough of Seattle, WA, the late Steven J. Hough, and Jan (Kenneth) Bottcher of Ridgewood, NJ.
While her children were still young, Phyllis completed her bachelor's degree at night at Rutgers. She then spent several years as a substitute teacher at Sterling High School before embarking on a 25-year career as a Camden County Probation Officer.
After her first marriage ended, her love of playing bridge led Phyllis to a singles bridge group, where she met her second husband, the late John H. Pere. She was captivated by the twinkle in his eye and his French accent, and they spent over 30 happy years together, during which they made many memorable visits to his homeland of France. In 1999, Phyllis and John relocated from Cherry Hill, NJ to the Medford Leas CCRC in Medford, NJ. The family thanks the Medford Leas staff for their dedicated care of Mom in her final years.
Phyllis was warm and outgoing. She loved planning and attending social events, and invented "Dessert Day"--eating dinner on a dessert plate, and dessert on a dinner plate. She was deeply loved by her family and friends and a second mother--"Mom Hough"--to many of her children's friends.
In addition to her son and daughter and their spouses, Phyllis is survived by three grandchildren, Steven C. Hough, Laura (Adam) Shields, and Daniel Bottcher, and three great grandchildren. She is also survived by her devoted daughter-in-law, Elizabeth (Kimball) Beasley and her stepdaughters, Michelle and Genevieve Pere.
A memorial service will be held at a later date. The family requests memorial contributions to the Pinelands Preservation Alliance https://pinelandsalliance.org/ or the charity of your choice.
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