Toshi Seeger (wife of Pete)

 "Toshi was the one who steered the boat; she had the chart, she kept off the rocks." – Pete Seeger

"Toshi was truly a selfless soul - the unsung force behind so many of our dreams for a just world. She not only fed our bodies with her remarkable culinary concoctions, but she fed our spirits to keep us all going. She was as good, as honest, and as candidly straightforward a person as I have ever known. I will not attempt to count her accomplishments; I’m just proud to have counted her as a friend." - Travis Jeffrey

March is Women's History Month - an annual declared month that highlights the contributions of women to history, culture and society.With this in mind, let’s celebrate Toshi Seeger!

Twelve Toshi Facts

(1) Toshi Seeger was born in Munich, Germany to an American mother and a Japanese father in 1922.

(2) Toshi lived in Greenwich Village and Woodstock New York in the 1920s, 30s, and 40s.

(3) Toshi attended The Little Red School House in New York City and graduated from the High School of Music and Art in 1940.

(4) Toshi met Pete in 1939. They married in New York City in 1943, while Pete was on leave from the army. Toshi passed away eleven days shy of their 70th wedding anniversary.

(5) Toshi and Pete were partners in every sense of the word. They collaborated on everything from building their log cabin and organizing festivals big and small. This was made possible only through Toshi's tireless work, creative mind and meticulous organizational skills.

(6) Toshi served on the New York State Council of the Arts and marched with Dr. Martin Luther King from Selma to Montgomery in 1965.

(7) Toshi collaborated with Pete's manager Harold Leventhal on thousands of projects. Toshi and Pete took their three children ages 17, 15, and 8 around the world, giving concerts and making field recordings and films in 28 countries.

(8) In the 1960's,Toshi was instrumental in the early years of the Newport Folk Festival and she helped discover bluesman Mississippi John Hurt.

(9) In 1965, when Pete was no longer banned from all television, she produced a show called "Rainbow Quest" for Public Television. In 2007, at the age of 85, Toshi executive produced the Emmy-award winning documentary, "Pete Seeger: The Power of Song."

(10) Toshi was an untrained filmmaker. She co-produced, directed, shot and edited films about music from all regions of the country and the world. Many of her films are now at the Library of Congress.

(11) Toshi co-founded the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater organization and Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival. She initiated things that were rarely done at festivals in the 1970's and 1980's - such as recycling, wheelchair access and sign language interpreters.

(12) While Toshi's work with Pete was recognized internationally, she was also very involved locally. Beacon Sloop Club's annual festivals - and could be seen each year whipping cream at their annual strawberry festival. Toshi's stone soup was the magnet that brought people to the Beacon waterfront which ultimately transformed the city dump into the "Pete and Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park".

Toshi Seeger - a community volunteer, festival organizer, writer, filmmaker, road manager, potter, exceptional cook and gardener, loving mother, grandmother, great grandmother and aunt.

Pete Seeger fell in love with a powerful positive force.

When once asked what his favorite love song was in the folk tradition, Pete responded by singing . . .

"Going to sing me a love song just in hopes you might be passing by. Going to sing me a love song just in hopes you might be passing by. And if you’re not too busy, perhaps I might catch you on the fly. Won’t you come along with me, down by the spring? Won’t you come along with me, down by the spring? To see the waters gliding, hear the nightingale sing? Now my song is over, but the melody lingers on. Now my song is over, but the melody lingers on. And should I ever leave you, remember when I’m gone.”