Colleen Caroline (Bourne) Pettis

Colleen (Bourne) Pettis, of Staunton, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, at Royal Care at Birch Gardens in Staunton. She was 102 years old.
Mrs. Pettis was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on October 7, 1922, the daughter of the late Arthur Thomas Bourne and Esther Esmerelda (Anderson) Bourne.
A lifelong learner and educator, Colleen pursued her undergraduate studies at Calvin College and Michigan State College, earning a B.S. degree in 1945. She went on to receive a Master of Religious Education from The Biblical Seminary in New York (now New York Theological Seminary) in 1948. Decades later, she returned to her scientific roots, completing an M.S. in Microbiology from the University of Maryland, College Park, in 1989.
Her professional journey was as rich and varied as her academic one. She began her career as an Instructor in Bacteriology at the University of Indiana Medical School from 1945 to 1947, and later worked as a Medical Technician at Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids in 1948. From 1948 to 1952, she served as a medical missionary at Presbyterian Hospital in Meshed, Iran. 
On May 19, 1951, Colleen married Hugh Semple Pettis in Meshed, Iran, where she was stationed as a missionary and he was serving at the American Consulate. Together, they raised two sons and shared 74 years of marriage. In a touching testament to their bond, Hugh and Colleen passed away on the same day, just hours apart.
Her subsequent roles included soil analysis at the University of Idaho’s Chemistry Department, sales positions at Hecht’s in Silver Spring, MD, and Montgomery Ward in Wheaton, MD, academic support positions in microbiology at the University of Maryland, and a teaching position as a dietitian instructor at Montgomery College from 1991 to 1994. She also served at the American Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Colleen had a deep passion for languages and learning. She studied Chinese at the University of Maryland and Hebrew at Eastern Mennonite Seminary in Harrisonburg, VA. Her commitment to service extended far beyond the classroom. She volunteered for 10 years as a docent at the Walter Reed Museum in Washington, D.C., supported the University of Maryland’s Department of Microbiology, and helped countless international students with English language writing at both the University of Maryland and Eastern Mennonite University. She also led the English Editing for International Graduate Students (EEIGS) program for ten years.
A devoted member of Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Staunton, Colleen found joy in her faith, community, and in raising and showing West Highland White Terriers—a lifelong passion.
Mrs. Pettis was preceded in death by a son, Hugh Forrest Pettis. 
Surviving, is her son, Mark Semple Pettis of San Francisco, CA
Burial will be private in Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington, D.C. 
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Augusta Health Foundation, c/o Hospice of the Shenandoah, P.O. Box 1000, Fishersville, Virginia 22939 or to the charity of one’s choice.
Coffman Funeral Home and Crematory, 230 Frontier Drive in Staunton is in charge of her arrangements.
Condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.coffmanfuneralhome.net