Peter H. Garrity

Rye - On Sunday January 8, 2023, Peter “Pete” Garrity decided it was time to join his beloved wife Pauline, after missing her for 8 years. Born September 6, 1939 in Hanover, NH to Lawrence Garrity and Laura Riley, Pete was one of 6 kids, Mary (Gauthier), James, Lawrence (“Sookie”),Robert, Peter and Carol (Abbott). Pete was a New England boy through and through, except for his love of the New York Yankees, for which we forgive him. Pete was a natural athlete who used sports to engage, motivate and build relationships with family, friends, rivals and colleagues – and there are many! Pete was co-captain of the Hanover High School football team (two years as "Class C" All State Football), captain of the ice hockey team and a very proud co-captain of the 1957 NH Shriner's Football Team. In 1980 Pete was inducted into the Hanover High School Hall of Fame. After graduatingin 1957, Pete joined the Navy (at age 17) and was stationed at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, where he met and fell in love with Pauline Nickerson, a civilian nurse at the Shipyard Hospital. Pete and Pauline were married in June of 1961. They were married for 53 years. After the Navy, Pete started working for his friend and mentor, Jack Goodwin, starting with a retail job at Goodwin Feed and Supply on Deer Street in Portsmouth, NH. In 2003, Pete retired as an owner of Goodwin Oil Company. Pete and Pauline started their family in Hampton, NH and had 4 kids, Cheryl, Tom, Tim (Kathie Garrity), and Debbie (Mike Clark), before they moved to Rye where they had their 5th child, Tish (Seth Campbell). Over the course of the next 50+ years in Rye, Pete poured himself into the community. Of course, he was active in coaching the boys’ baseball and football and organizing recreational youth activities. Pete was a member of the Rye celebration of the (U.S.) Bicentennial Committee - he and Pauline were an integral part of the 3-day celebration in 1976. Pete was awarded Rye Citizen of the Year in 1979 because of his contributions to the town and its community. Pete was also President of the Portsmouth Kiwanis (1983), President of the Seacoast YMCA (1993 -1998), and Granite State Cluster YMCA Volunteer of the Year in (1998). Pete could strike up a conversation with a complete stranger and loved his random meet ups at the Rye Transfer Station, his "coffee friends" at the YMCA and the many restaurants that he was a regular at, including Petey's and Betty's Kitchen. Pete stayed physically fit and loved working out at the YMCA and Planet Fitness, where he made fast friends who motivated him to keep moving. Pete helped everyone and anyone - plowing driveways for friends and strangers (who later became friends) and showing up with his pick-up truck and trailer for moving and hauling. For as much as Pete loved to take care of others, perhaps his greatest pride and joy was his lawn. You all know this. On any given day you would find Pete out front riding his mower, picking up sticks and every stray leaf. Pete loved visitors and always had a soda to share in the driveway or by the pool, where he loved hosting family get togethers including his sisters, brothers, cousins, 12 grandchildren, 7 great grandchildren, many nieces, nephews and his chosen family. In his later years, Pete treated himself to a red Ford Mustang convertible which brought him (and others) a lot of fun and joy, as did Jasmine, Pete’s canine buddy who followed him around endlessly. A special thanks to the Rye Police Department and Rye Fire Department who made sure Pete was always taken care of, as well as to the Portsmouth Hospital Emergency Room, ICU and 4th Floor Staff for taking such great care of him the last couple of weeks. Pete donated to many local organizations and Gather was near and dear to his heart. We ask that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Pete’s name to Gather Food Pantry by clciking here. We will be celebrating Pete’s life on Saturday, January 21, 2023. Please join us at Remick & Gendron Funeral Home in Hampton, NH for visitation from 10 AM - 12 Noon followed by a brief service at the Rye Central Cemetery.

Peter H. Garrity

September 6, 1939 - January 8, 2023