Dear friends,

It is with profound sadness that I inform you on behalf of my sisters that our beloved father, Al Pesso, died suddenly on May 19th after a long illness and seven months hospitalization. There will be a joint memorial service for both our mother and father in Cambridge, MA in late summer at a time and date to be determined.

Anyone wishing to share thoughts, memories, or media about our father is welcome to do so on his tribute page which can be found here: http://www.forevermissed.com/albert-pesso/#about

Extending a warm hug to all who loved him and will miss him,

Tana Pesso

(Al’s eldest daughter)

tana@tanapesso.com

 

Dear friends, colleagues, and clients,

I am writing today to announce my retirement as a therapist and teacher. As many of you know, for the past five months I have been battling a series of health challenges including hemothorax, many rounds of pneumonia, congestive heart failure, endocarditis, arrhythmia, blood infections, anemia, and multiple myeloma which has compromised my immune system. I have come to realize it is impossible to continue my training schedule under these health conditions and that for the foreseeable future my time would best be spent writing the books and articles that have been on a back burner for years.

I thank you all for your well wishes during this difficult time and look forward to the next rich chapter of my life bringing PBSP theory and practice to the world through my writing rather than in person as a therapist and a teacher.

With the wonderfully talented, dedicated, and well trained cadre of PBSP therapists, supervisors, and trainers that exist I know that the practice and teaching of PBSP will be secure in their capable hands and carried on to the highest standards for the benefit of the world in the future.

I wish you all happiness, health, well-being, satisfaction, and meaning in your lives.

With love as always,

Al

(Note from Tana Pesso: Since late October except for 10 days at home Al has been in hospitals and at Spaulding Rehab.  Anyone wishing to contribute to his medical expenses and recovery fund may do so via his Go Get Funding site. Thank you for your kindness and generosity!)

Diane Boyden Pesso, beloved wife of Albert Pesso and daughter of Martha L. Birchby and F. Wendell Boyden, died of ALZ on Mar. 4, 2016 in Chestnut Hill, MA. Born Aug. 8, 1929 she leaves her husband, 3 daughters, Tana Pesso, Tasmin Pesso, and Tia Pesso Powell and 4 grandchildren, Chris F. Edley III, Kyra Chu Pesso, Jono Pesso Chu, and Xoren Pesso Powell.

With her powerful intellect, compassion, and fiercely independent and creative mind she along with her husband created Pesso Boyden System Psychomotor (an interactive process that creates new body-based memories to heal emotional deficits of the past) in the early 1960’s.

Diane began her career in the field of dance.As a young woman, she studied under the legendary modern choreographer, Jose Limon, and was a favorite of the renowned Creative Movement pioneer and teacher, Barbara Metler. In high school she ran her own dance studio. Winning numerous scholarships, she continued her dance education at Bennington College under Martha Hill, founder of Julliard’s dance department.

Diane went on to teach dance at Wheaton, Emerson, and BU’s Sargent colleges. In the 1950’s she and her husband established a dance school in Quincy  with 500 students which taught primarily modern dance, creative movement, and choreography to children and teenagers.

She was a PBSP therapist at McLean Hospital, the Director of Psychomotor Therapy at the New England Rehab Hospital (now Spaulding Rehabilitation) Pain Unit, had a private PBSP practice, and as Vice President of the Psychomotor Institute trained psychotherapists in PBSP certification programs in America and Europe.

In addition, as a dedicated utopian thinker Diane was years ahead of her time in her attempts in the late 1960’s to create a multi age, race, creed, and income community that would have conserved land and have offered shared space for education, art, cooking, and other community activities.

A free spirit with a deeply compassionate wish to heal all the wounds of the world, Diane will be deeply missed by friends and family who remain inspired by her life’s work and unique soul.

A memorial service will be held in late Spring.  Anyone kindly wishing to make a donation in Diane’s memory and honor may do so here: http://gogetfunding.com/support-for-al-pessos-medical-recovery-expenses/

 

Dear friends,

It is with great sadness that I share with you the news that my beloved wife, Diane Boyden Pesso, died early this morning of Alzheimer’s disease. She was without pain or fear in her final days, so that is a blessing.

We will arrange a memorial service for sometime later in the year and will let you know about the date and place when our plans firm up. We have also set up a remembrance page for anyone who might like to share their stories and memories of my dear wife and life partner. You can find it here: http://www.forevermissed.com/diane-boyden-pesso#about

I am currently back at Mass General Hospital in Boston with a bout of pneumonia, but can be reached by phone and email as always.

Thank you for your friendship and kind support over the years.

In sadness,

Al Pesso