Not many people can say they have had a friend their entire life, but that’s exactly what Peter was to me, a life long friend and mentor. I first visited Muskie Bay Camp as an infant and spent almost every single summer of my life there with him up until 2010 when I purchased their cottage.

As a child, Peter would often write me letters to keep me updated on what was going on at the camp and in his life. I would of course write in return. I remember how exciting it was to receive his letters in the mail as a kid and we still wrote to one another up until a few years ago. I have saved every single letter. I specifically remember the one in late 1992 when he told me they had sold Muskie Bay Camp, I was devastated at the time, but quickly learned that retirement for him just meant more time for fishing and “happy hour” where we would often have a beer on the dock of the boathouse. I learned a lot about his life during the conversations we had while on the lake. We spent countless hours fishing lake trout, building camp fires, fixing things, picking blueberries and taking trips to the dump. We loved going and we would always find treasures and bring them back to camp. Many of which are still around to this day.

We were 57 years apart in ago but yet shared a bond lasted all these years. When Peter came over to the camp for a morning visit in 2009 and asked me to take over ownership of his cabin, I was both honored and sad. I had never spent any time there when he wasn’t around and this meant he would no longer be there when I visited. That definitely took some getting used to. Peter’s spirit is all over that place and will continue to be as long as it is in my family. From his old white boat to the tools he left in the garage for me, not a single trip will pass without thinking of him.

I was fortunate enough to visit him a couple of times in St. Catherine’s and shared a picture from one of our last visits. Sending my condolences to the entire family, most of you whom I’ve never met. Just want to let you know what a special person Peter was to me. My grandfather passed when I was 10 years old and Peter very much filled that void in my life. I will cherish a lifetime of memories.