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I talked to Pete's daughter, Heather, and she tells me that he's still in a nursing home, is doing well, is comfortable, but is no better memory-wise. She hasn't seen him since early March because of the lockdowns, and she said that he probably won't know who she is when she is able to see him again.
Not much more to say, but I thought that those who know Pete would like to know what's been happening to him. For those of you that came here after Pete left, He was a moderator, one of the best modelers doing both trains and ships, and probably one of the nicest people you'll ever meet and proud to call your friend. Pete came down with memory issues a few years ago and has been in a nursing home for the past two years or so.
Don (ezdays) Day
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Well, Don, it's at least good to hear that he's doing well, other than the memory issue. His skills in shipbuilding (and knowledge of the real ones ) always impressed me, and he did equally well when it came to trains and structures, too.
Wayne
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Wayne, Don,
it is very sad to hear this.
Lutz
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I remember his modeling and I was always impressed. Sad to hear about the memory issues. Glad he his doing well otherwise.
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Wow - Yeah this stinks all around. It's good that he's doing well. i have another friend that is slowly losing his memory... It's horrible!
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Thank you Don for the update on Pete---I remember his outstanding water/ship scenes and he inspired me in many ways.I hope he is at peace and his thoughts are filled with images of peaceful scenes filled with ships and trains and past friends.God bless him.
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Any memory diagnosis is cruel, Alzheimer's or Dementia are progressive diseases where the person is whole, but the mind has gone somewhere else. It's not only cruel to the person with the disease, but to their family and friends as well. Pete has been a good friend to us all here, he'd visit anyone when he was nearby. The last time I talked to Pete, he was visiting his daughter and wanted to stop by. Unfortunately, we had conflicts and couldn't see him then. I regret that to this day. I don't know if he has the chance to do any modeling where he is, or if he has the ability to do so if he did have the chance. This is in part what Heather had to say:
Quote:Due to Covid19, I have not seen my father since the first week of March. As far as I know, he is in reasonably good health for his condition, and even though the virus is in his facility, it is in small numbers and he has not contracted it that we know of yet. By the time I will be allowed to return to see him physically, I'm pretty sure he will not know who I am specifically. He was struggling to retain parts of conversations before all this, and he was struggling to recall older memories too.
Don (ezdays) Day
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06-06-2020, 07:34 AM
(This post was last modified: 06-06-2020, 07:38 AM by Tyson Rayles.)
I had the good fortune to spend a day with Pete many years ago. We chased the GSMRR and went thru the museum. Ran trains on my layout and enjoyed dinner at the local Pasta place. Man could he pack the food away! He was on his way to his ship's 25th year reunion in South Carolina. I gave him a Nantahala Midland HO boxcar and he gave me two of his Cindy's Harbor N scale boxcars which still see service on my RR. As Don said he is an outstanding modeler and gentleman and while I'm glad he is doing well physically it is sad to hear about his memory problems.
Mike
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I was saddened when I seen this post, and have been following it. I knew I had taken a pic of Pete, and have been looking for it, found it late last night.
Back a few years ago, when my Dad was still alive, we used to hit ALL the local shows, like about a 75 mile radius, and Pete lived not close to me, but not super far away. I never went to Pete's house, but we often seen him at most of the Model RR shows we went to, and I would stop by and say hi . Pete is a very nice guy, he was super smart too, I mean he really knew alot of stuff, about a lot of stuff .
At least it seems physically hes in good shape, I am glad for that...God bless him.
-Deano
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Yeah, got a couple from when he visited us in Wickenburg back in 2003.
This one is is Pete, Ray Marinaccio and myself:
Pete had broken something in his foot while on his vacation, hence the cast:
Don (ezdays) Day
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It's nice to see the faces behind the names.
Wayne
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I've just come across this thread and am saddened to hear the news. My sympathies to his family, dealing with a loved one with memory loss/ Alzheimer's isn't easy though I would suggest trying to remember how he was before the decline; I, personally, found it sorta helps.
Pete, though I think of him as Sumpter 250, gave me a good deal of encouragement especially during my "Detroit Car Ferry" build, for which I'm extremely grateful. Praise from a man with his abilities meant a lot and spurred me to try harder.
My best wishes go to him and his family for the future.
Kindest regards, Craig the Bear.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
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