Thomas Bart Peaden ’66

Thomas Bart Peaden ’66, 65, of Philadelphia, Pa., died of heart disease Aug. 27 at home. Since the mid-1970s, Peaden taught basic, advanced, and business French at the Alliance Française de Philadelphie, a not-for-profit French school and cultural center. Besides teaching, Peaden assisted with administrative duties and with social events. Peaden also taught French for many years at the University of Pennsylvania and recently taught at La Salle University. He was a literature, film, and music enthusiast. His favorite reads included the Inspector Maigret series by the French writer Georges Simenon and works by Italian writer Umberto Eco. His favorite musician was the late gospel singer Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Other musicians who were in heavy rotation on his iPod included Wanda Jackson, Etta James, Zap Mama, Fine Young Cannibals, and Elvis Presley, and he recently attended a performance by Natalie Merchant. A lifelong dog lover, Peaden’s first magazine subscription was to Dog World when he was 10 years old. As a youngster, he made model cars from kits with his brother, Bret. Later, he found car kits and assembled cars on eBay and sent them to his brother as gifts. He “thrilled” his friends with other eBay finds, such as vintage postcards, jewelry, and religious icons. Peaden grew up in Florida and spent summers at his family’s cabin in Boone, N.C. After earning a bachelor’s degree in French from Davidson, he earned a master’s degree in French from the University of Pennsylvania and completed course work for his doctorate at Penn. For three years he lived in Lyon and Avignon, France, and taught at the University of Lyon. In addition to his brother, Bret Peaden, P.O. Box 63, Keysville, VA 23947, Peaden is survived by a brother, Greg; a sister, Sarah Thogode; three nieces; and three nephews.