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| Pete, second from right, with Jack Coyne, Ben Colbert, Ed Dilgen and Lou Miller, at Niagara Falls, August, 2023 |
Peter D. McGorry, 78, most recently of Dubuque, Iowa, passed away Friday evening, March 1, 2024. His daughter and 3 sons were at his side and his passing was peaceful. Peter had recovered from open heart surgery and valve replacement in 2021 but was diagnosed with a glioblastoma brain tumor in December 2023. Although surgery at the University of Iowa Medical Center removed most of the tumor, life expectancy was measured in months. Peter declined further treatment and entered hospice care in Dubuque.
Peter was born in Bay Shore, NY on
December 16, 1945, the second of 6 children born to Tom and Jean
McGorry. He attended grammar school at St Patrick's Catholic School,
then enrolled at Montfort Preparatory Seminary in Bay Shore in 1959.
During his teen years, Peter spent his summers at his uncle's ranch in
Absarokee, Montana and enjoyed working as a ranch hand herding cattle,
baling hay and rounding up stray dogies. He was invested into the
Company of Mary in May,1964 and entered Marybrook Novitiate in August.
In March 1965 he left seminary life and returned home to Bay Shore. He
attended Farmingdale College and St John's University, graduating with a
bachelor's degree in history.
Peter married Joan Brochu on August 9,
1969, at St Bridgit's Catholic Church, Westbury, NY Peter and Joan began
their married life in Port Jefferson and Peter began his teaching
career in the History Department at Central Islip High School in August
1969. After 3 years at CIHS, Peter and Joan relocated to the Midwest,
initially living in Kenosha, WI, then moving to Minnesota where Pete
taught English Composition and History at the Breck School in Golden
Valley, MN. During the summers of those years, Pete earned a master's
degree in American History from Montana State University in Boseman.
While at Breck, Pete learned to write computer software and reinvented
himself as an IT guy. He had his own IT business in Cannon Falls, MN for
a number of years until he fell ill with type1 diabetes in his mid40s.
Once his diabetes was under control, Peter went to work for the National
Methodist Church, initially in Chicago, then in Nashville, TN in the IT
Department where he worked until retirement in 2012.
Peter and Joan
then returned to Northfield, MN to be closer to their children and
grandchild. Pete then returned to his first love and passion: teaching,
working with elementary age children to improve their reading skills.
He especially relished working with children with disabilities with the
express purpose of making their lives better. He continued to work as a
reading specialist until his wife Joan died in 2017, when Peter moved to
Dubuque, IA to be close to his daughter.
Peter was a remarkable, loving, kind
and compassionate man. He never had a bad word to say about anyone nor
did anyone ever say a bad word about him. He was deeply concerned about
the atrocities we as a country have committed against Native Americans
both historically and currently. He shared his concerns with the hope
that such atrocities never happen again.
Peter is preceded in death by his
parents, Thomas and Jean McGorry, and by his wife Joan. It was the great
tragedy of Peter's life to lose Joan after more than 48 years of
marriage and he missed her every day thereafter.
Peter is survived by his daughter,
Beth of Dubuque, IA, and 3 sons: Peter (Jean) of Big Lake, MN, and
fraternal twins Matthew of Minneapolis, MN and Christopher of Boulder,
CO; grandchildren Luke and Kiera and 5 siblings; Sister Jean Ellen CSJ,
Eileen, Patricia, Tom and David.
Funeral services are scheduled for
Saturday, April 27th at 10am at St Dominic's Catholic Church,
Northfield, MN. Visitation will be one hour prior to the church service.
