HARRISBURG (TNS) — Joan L. Specter, a former member of the Philadelphia City Council and the wife of the late Sen. Arlen Specter, died on Saturday at age 90.
The cause of death was due to complications from dementia. She died at her home in Haverford, according to her obituary.
While she was best known as the wife of Arlen Specter, who served as a U.S. Senator for 30 years before his death in 2012, she also spent 16 years – or four 4-year terms – as a member of the Philadelphia City Council from 1980-1996.
“She had a remarkably varied and successful career,” her son Shanin said to the Philadelphia Inquirer. “She was good at everything she did, whether it was the culinary arts or business or government, she was very talented.”
Before being elected to the city council, Specter studied under the famous chef James Beard in New York, as well as at the Cordon Bleu in London and the Culinary Institute of America in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
She went on to found several cooking schools, called La Petite Ecole, which she operated for 13 years. She also she hosted a radio program and wrote a weekly food column for The Philadelphia Bulletin for 11 years.
She also created Joan Specter’s Desserts, a pie-baking business that was eventually distributed in 20 states and billed as, “America’s first gourmet frozen pies which require no baking, decorating or special preparations.”
After her time on city council, she worked as director of leadership gifts for the National Constitution Center, and was on the board of trustees at the Hazel K. Goddess Fund for Stroke Research and the Children’s Literacy Initiative.
In addition to Shanin, Specter is survived by another son, Steve; a brother, Barry Levy; and four granddaughters.
