Ivy Iverson

Ivy Iverson was born on March 15, 1934 in Billings, Montana to William A. Iverson and Irene Lawson. Ivy had a long and successful career in the field of Occupational Therapy. In 1955 she graduated from San Jose State with a degree in Occupational Therapy. Ivy was commissioned in the US Army as a Second Lt. from 1956-1959 at Walter Reed Medical Center, Valley Forge, PA as an Occupational Therapist serving wounded military.

Ivy was always committed to a life of service. In 1960 she joined the American Friends Service Committee for a work Camp in Turkey. From 1963 until her retirement, Ivy worked as an Occupational Therapist and Educator. From 1965 through 1968 Ivy worked at Fort Logan Community Mental Health Center in Littleton, CO, serving as a Team Leader providing group activities for mental health patients. She later taught as an instructor in Occupational Therapy at DeAnza College and San Jose State University.

Ivy was a dedicated Quaker and joined the San Jose Friends Meeting in January 1966. Ivy was active in the meeting and championed social justice causes, the environment, homelessness, and voting rights.

Ivy was also a skilled and passionate woodworker. She partnered with her father and built her own home up in the Santa Cruz Mountains in a small community named "Las Cumbres" which was originally a Quaker community.

Ivy spent her recent years at the Atria Willow Glenn facility for those needing memory care. Ivy passed away very peacefully in the home of a close family friend, Stevie Slaughter, whom Ivy treated as her daughter, on August 16, 2022. A memorial service was held at San Jose Friends Meeting House on September 10, 2022.

Ivy was a dedicated friend with a kind heart and a strong work ethic. She was extremely independent and industrious. Ivy was a true pioneer and mentor, paving the way for many to lead in serving their communities and discovering their purpose

Ivy’s ashes were placed on the meeting property in an intimate gathering of friends and family on November 27, 2022.