Peter Stephen Williams
His Life
Peter was born June 29, 1944 in Winchester, Massachusetts to Gustave Williams, Vice President for Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and Margaret (Hellmers) Adelle Williams, a homemaker and later in life, an employee of Lord and Taylor Department Store
( See Gallery for pictures that illlustrate Peter's life story)
Peter was the third of four children. His siblings were Gustave (deceased), Ruthanna ( married to Dr. Len Peters) and Christopher.
When Peter was 9 months old, the family moved to New York City to be near Margaret’ parents. Then moved to Decatur, Georgia. When Peter was about 4 or 5, they moved to Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey. Shortly after arriving to Ho-Ho-Kus the family was introduced to their family doctor, Uncle Jene, when Peter fell off his bike (or ran into something) can’t remember which) and needed medical attention. The policeman on duty closed up the police office and rushed Peter to the doctor for stitches. Peter went to the local elementary school where one of his teachers referred to him as her golden haired angel.
Then onto the local Jr High then Ridgewood High School as Ho Ho Kus didn’t have one. Peter went there for about 3 years before dropping out because he couldn’t tolerate one of his teachers. (He later got his GED while in the army)
Peter was raised in a scouting family. His father was a Scout Master and Peter achieved the rank of Eagle Scout at the age of 14. Following in his father’s footsteps, he also served as a scout leader during his early adult years.
After school, Peter worked for Fairbanks Scale Company for several years where he excelled so that he was leading crews of people much his senior.. He later worked for a surveying company where the skills he learned proved invaluable in his service to his country in Viet Nam.
December 15, 1967, Peter entered the U S Army. He didn’t have to. He had medical issues which would have kept him out, but he felt his duty to his country so strongly that he made a way to serve. He received honors for shooting Expert Rifle in boot camp. His father was so proud of his accomplishments. Peter arrived in Viet Nam May 16, 1968. He had trained as an heavy equipment operator, but by the time he got through the line for assignment (His name was Williams which meant being at the end of the line, always) all those slots were filled. There were two positions left. One was in an office (not going to happen) and the other was on a surveying crew. He told them he had some experience in surveying, so that is where they sent him. He was sent in to speak with Capt. Blue who sighed when he saw Peter and asked him if he knew the name of a piece of equipment he had placed on his desk. When Peter rattled off the name, Capt. Blue called in Hanson (one of the guys on the survey crew) and said “Meet your new party chief”. So that is how Peter came to lead this small survey crew and it paved the path of his experiences in Viet Nam. Peter was officially Viet Nam for a 1-year tour. In actuality, because of skills he learned which were invaluable to the war effort, he went back for an additional 6 month tour, which was so secret, a person would have to have special clearance, to see those records.
picture – Peter and his crew.
picture – Peter loved the kids and they him. One time they were going to go out on a patrol. The kids told him “No go many cong. Sure enough that sector was hit hard that night. Those kids saved Peter’s and his crew’s lives that night.
picture . Kids carrying Peter’s Philly stick. Note the one in the middle trying to get tall enough.
One day, Peter gave a couple army t-shirts to a couple brothers. Their mother worked all night and by the next day, the boys had shirts that fit them. Another time, Peter was invited to dinner at a local home. Because he was the head guy, he was honored with the choice piece of food – a chicken head. Yuke!!!
After Peter finished his time in Viet Nam, he was stationed at Fort Belvoir, in Virginia, where he taught Surveying for the remaining time of service.
Peter married Lynn Meirose, during this time frame and they moved to Cobbleskill, New York where Peter attended the community college and graduated with a two year degree in Animal Husbandry. He intended to continue his education to become a veterinarian but the dissolution of his marriage caused a change in plans.
After he left Cobbleskill, Peter moved to the Tidewater area of Virginia and started working as a pipefitter, soon advancing to field supervisor, building/renovating schools, hospitals, prisons and military installations etc. in the south east.
Peter married Joyce in 1979 and they had two children, Sarah and Stephen. Though the marriage did not turn out as well as they hoped, Peter couldn’t have been more proud of both his children. Sarah has graduated with a law degree and is married to Roman Zadov and they live in Summerville, Massachusetts. They have one child, Jay who was born a few months after Peter’s passing. Stephen has followed his father into the construction industry, but he chose the electrical trade and is doing very well. Stephen also likes to hike and has hiked the complete Appalachian trail in the east and the Pacific Crest Trail in the west.
The Final Years
Peter and Peg’s Story (from Peg’s viewpoint)
Peter and I met during high school. Peter and one of my best friends were dating and I was dating one of Peter’s best friends. We got to know one another in that perspective. A couple years after high school, we started spending more time together. Not exclusive, but I started to really care for him. Though I knew he cared for me, I always felt his feelings were not as strong as mine. When he went to Viet Nam, it became quite clear that he had become very attached to Lynn, whom he later married (a disaster). I went on with my life and he with his. We kept in touch off and on through the years and I never forgot him – my first real love. Fast forward to 1995. I was divorced and raising 3 kids. I had just gotten laid off from my job. I spent a lot of time walking and praying. One day I got the strongest impression (from God I think) to call Peter. Now it had been about 15 years since we had been in touch and I wasn’t sure if he was still in Norfolk. I called information and got a number for a Peter Williams in Norfolk that I was hoping was him. A couple weeks later, I called and was successfully connected to Peter. We had a wonderful, long talk which we repeated off and on for quite awhile. His marriage was essentially over but not formally. It was a couple years later when his kids were closer to being independent and he had separated from his wife, that we were able to start talking future. Four years after that first phone call, Peter moved out to Colorado and we started our life together. We married in October 2000 and spent a wonderful 15 years together as husband and wife. The best years of either of our lives.
( picture captions)
Visiting friends in New York state
Our wedding day
Volunteering at the soup kitchen
A visit from Sarah and Stephen
Reading to the little ones – Vacation Bible School 2015