Where do I begin?  Why not on the day I first met Pete?  Sometime back in 1959, on arriving home from college for the summer, I was surprised to see a red Chevy Corvette parked in front of my parent’s house.  On entering our home, one of my older sisters, Annemarie, introduced me to her (“new” to me at least) boyfriend, the owner of said vehicle, Peter Abresch.  First impression? Cool guy !  Later when I asked my sister to borrow her car for a date that evening, Pete scored ultimate brownie points by offering me the use of his Corvette !  (What ?  You’re kidding !  Really ? ! ? )  Of course I accepted the offer !  

(There was an unfortunate footnote to that story: no – I did not harm that beautiful car!  Less than a mile down the road, a DC cop pulled me over and presented me with a speeding ticket (10 mph over Washington DC’s 25 mph speed limit).  No radar – I am sure it was this cop’s take on a 20-year-old guy in a red sports car !)

During that summer I came to know Pete who had met several of my sisters through their affiliation with a social group (The Catholic Club of Georgetown (CCG)) where, besides his involvement with the group’s  governing board, he shared his Arthur Murray Dance Studio experience by conducting dance classes for the club members.  He and my sister Annemarie made a great dance couple!  (I learned his sophisticated “Washington Swing” routine which I subsequently taught several of my dance partners over the years.)

And suddenly, in the Fall of ’60, Pete became my second brother-in-law – a welcome addition to the family.

From then on it became snapshots in time, mainly due to my travels out of the country as well as Pete’s job involving extended data-gathering ocean voyages. And then in 1971, after my family’s return from our four-year, work-related residences in Germany and Italy, we permanently relocated to Colorado.

 And so, from afar, I admired Pete’s foresight in purchasing that waterfront property somewhere southeast of DC near a town called Prince Frederick (What ?  Where ? ! ? Why?????).  That became and still is the Abresch Family Base of Operations.  Then came an interesting parade of rentals – from that pseudo-Victorian “mansion” on Prince Frederick’s main street and others in town, to that big farmhouse overlooking the river which was home to “farmers” Pete, Annemarie and sons, and also home to a herd (?) of Irish Wolfhounds.  Then suddenly there was this custom-built home on that waterfront property bought decades before.  And throw in a home-built trimaran for sailing/camping weekends on the river or bay.  W O W ! ! !

 Since both Pete and I tended towards an “alpha male personality”, we did manage to occasionally lock horns and didn’t hesitate to tell each other when we thought the other was full of it.  I would like to think that I was less abrasive than Pete could occasionally be.  One of my best remembered “confrontation” took place during a family game of Monopoly.  With both of us fueled by a few beers, when I took issue with an “illegal” move Pete wanted to make, we went back-and-forth until he invited me to step outside to settle the argument.  I refused with an excuse that I didn’t want Annemarie to be mad at me for beating him up.  Years later we’ve laughed at that and wondered who would’ve come out of that more or less bloodied!  

 I imagine that Pete’s writing avocation started when he took his typewriter along on his extended, work-related ocean voyages.  It certainly blossomed in his retirement where his creativity proved to be boundless ! !  I looked forward to his insightful, weekly, free-versed “Burnt Offerings”.  And I was flattered when he solicited my help in editing and doing some research for his various published works. 

 Perhaps what really impressed me about my “bro” Pete was his having to step up as Annemarie started to fade.  Having been exposed to the travails of Alzheimer with our own Mother we all knew the challenges involved.

This “Burnt Offering” really helped me feel Pete’s pain at watching Annemarie, the love of his life, disappearing before his eyes with no recourse or solace other than his strong faith in God.

             Caregiver

          For many years

          I had a partner, a helpmate

          and while I didn't always

          appreciate it then,

          I surely miss it now.

          Today I make all decisions,

          keep all our appointments,

          sort all our pills,

          cook all our meals,

          clean our house,

          and try to keep

          our outlook upright.

          While it is my love,

          my privilege to do so,

          the task is often daunting,

          the journey wearing.

          Without your solace, Lord,

          Your arm upon my shoulder,

          I would have crashed long ago.

          Thank you for Your rod

          and Your staff.

                    Peter E. Abresch

                    January 22, 2019

Over the years these “Burnt Offerings” have quite creatively shown how ready and comfortable Pete was to meet his Maker.

With love and condolences to the family,

Toni Lang

Dear Abresch Family -

Please include me in the condolences and prayers for Pete.  As the youngest & littlest of the Lang Clan, I come perhaps late in my prayers for Pete but not in my warm thoughts about him.  

I left the DC area right after college and never returned as a frequent member of the family gatherings but I still have fond memories of getting to know Pete in his pre-marriage days as he taught me how to ballroom dance!  Like my sisters, I also spent my learning years at Georgetown area girl schools.  When Pete created the Holy Trinity Young Adult Club he invited one-and-all to attend his ballroom dancing classes.  I imagine he wanted to be sure he had enough women to entice guys to come.  Perhaps out of desperation  I, at age 15, was allowed to join in!  This paid off for me because in later years, when sister Dede (Roswitha) convinced me to join her when she took off to work in San Francisco, ballroom dancing was the thing to do on a date!  And there I met this cute guy who took me dancing at the big downtown hotel dance floors with live bands!   I will be forever grateful to Pete as it gave me 55 years of a warm marriage and 3 (so they tell me) perfect children.

Love to all -  Renata (Nada according to my siblings!)