Peter Joseph Chudzinski, Jr.

Peter Joseph, Jr. was a honeymoon baby, born May 26, 1966 in Buffalo, NY to Peter and Marie (nee Palczewski) Chudzinski. Soon after turning 1, he became a big brother to Elizabeth. The small family lived on the 2nd floor of the home of his grandparents, Walter and Irene Palczewski, in Cheektowaga, NY. Before the end of 1968, the family moved to Snyder, NY and Peter became a big brother to me, Anne, and then the ultimate big brother to Gregory five years later. Peter maintained close relationships with all 3 siblings until his death on March 2, 2026 in Mt. Airy, NC. He was 59.

Peter attended St. Benedict School in Snyder, NY until 5th grade before moving to Clifton Park, NY where he attended Shenedehowa Central Schools (class of 1984). He spent his first year of college commuting to Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, NY. He returned to Buffalo, with his sister Elizabeth, and together they started at Canisius College, where our father Peter had graduated in 1965. With family roots deep in Buffalo, Canisius College would become an important part of Peter’s life as both sisters and his brother also attended. At one point, Peter lived on the base floor of Frisch Hall, a small dorm, with his sisters living on floors above. A parent’s dream to be able to send three children to school at the same time, all at one location. A multi-generation legacy was in the making, as Peter’s own daughter would later graduate from Canisius. Many good friendships were formed as friends of our siblings quickly became all our friends. Like a true night owl, Peter preferred to study and work at his work-study job in the Computer Science Department during the day and attend classes in the evening. He earned a B.S. in Management Information Systems in 1988.

In 1989, Peter married Tracey Landrigan from Lockport, NY. They had met while both studying at Canisius. In 1990, Peter and Tracey moved to Colonie NY where they started their family. He worked hard to provide the best for them; a nice home in a neighborhood with good schools, bicycles, baseball equipment, a swimming pool, dogs and cats, and a life sprinkled with a few vacations outside of visiting family back in the Buffalo area.

Beyond family, Peter was dedicated to community service with a passion for problem-solving. As a Lifetime Firefighter with the Colonie Village Fire Department, he made a lasting impact on the community, always ready to help those in need. He served as President and was named Fireman of the Year for his dedication, bravery, and leadership. He was trained in trench rescues. He also served as Planning Commissioner for the Village of Colonie Planning Board.

Professionally, Peter always gave more than what was asked. His first experience with a job was an afternoon paper route for The Knickerbocker News. He kept meticulous records of all his accounts and through word-of-mouth and his reputation of being reliable, Peter added snowblowing driveways and mowing lawns to his offerings. He was the envy of the neighborhood boys looking for non-baby or pet sitting jobs. He soon had the market cornered in the small neighborhood. He made his own schedules, routes, and managed his own money. Through his hard work, he was able to buy himself a riding lawnmower and a top-of-the-line stereo system to play rock albums like VanHalen, AC/DC, The Who, and Aerosmith, which he also bought with his own money. When he turned 16, he was given the family’s aubergine Mercedes, a 1968 220D, to tinker with. It wasn’t roadworthy, but he sold parts off and used the money to purchase a bright, shiny, candy apple red 280S Mercedes to get around. He washed it weekly, polished the chrome and wooden dash, added a custom audio system and thus began his love and appreciation for owning a Mercedes Benz. Late in high school, Peter began working part-time for Norstar Bank in Albany, NY monitoring some of the first ATM machines for the bank in the northeast. He secured his first important job at Fleet Bank in downtown Albany. He also held several project manager positions and consulted on many projects with Federal Engineering, Stanley Security Solutions, and finally, with eCLIPSE Network Solutions.

As life happened, Peter’s life changed. He was introduced to “mudding” on ATVs in the hills around Sacandaga Lake and car racing. He bought his first RV “Spaceballs” to provide wheels and shelter while attending NASCAR races with friends in New Hampshire. He upgraded to “George,” a longer, more luxurious motor home that was used several times on family camping trips and on infamous “Man Camping” trips, a guys-only trip with his brother, two brothers in-law, and father in honor of his father’s love of relaxing, fishing, eating large, and hanging around a campfire with cigars. George provided the comforts of home and allowed his parents to come along on a cross-state camping trip. This is the trip Peter rolled up in “George” while other family members tented and cooked out in the rain. When it was time for Peter to move on from life in Colonie, his original plan was to see America. He mapped out all the places he wanted to see, where family lived, and starred where he could overnight. By himself, his dog Carly, and his bigger rig “Vinny”, he made his first stop in Mount Airy, NC where he embraced life in the south. He met wonderful people, got out of his comfort zone, was a caretaker for a new friend Norman and his dog Honey, and began to close text messages with “God Bless.” He quickly became sought out by fellow campers whenever something needed repairs. He had a fix or an upgraded piece of technology to offer. A true tech enthusiast with the willingness to always lend a hand had arrived at the Mayberry Campground.

Peter was passionate about his views on things and relished in dialogue of differences, sometimes, saying things to get something going but leaving you wondering if he truly believed that or was he just loving the exchanges with his sharp and quick wit.

The softer side of Peter had a deep love for family, tradition, and his Polish heritage, especially the art of making Polish sausage. He blended recipes from both Polish grandfathers and his father to create his own fresh sausage recipe to contribute to Easter and Christmas feasts. He set up his kitchen with souped-up grinding and stuffing gadgetry and held class teaching his son and daughter and all their cousins how to make his fresh Polish sausage. Family movies recorded his great grandfather Joseph Myslinski, who was born in 1887 Poland and immigrated to Buffalo, NY, holding Peter while celebrating his 80th birthday with him. He helped his Grandpa Walter shovel Buffalo-height snow off the driveway. Peter taught Granny Irene how to drive at the age of 68. She passed her exam, but when he realized that she would never go over 35mph on the highways, he decided it was best for him to drive her where she needed to go. He attentively listened to stories his Grampy Ed would tell and enjoyed being let into the attic by Granny Eleanor to poke around through treasures. He loved good, loud Polka music on Sunday mornings. He watched and learned from these ancestors.

Peter was working in Boston when he received word that his mother was in the trauma unit from a fall. He drove the fastest he could to be there in her last hours. Only when the family was all together, eating a take away meal generously provided by Peter, his loving mother, Marie Elaine (nee Palczewski) passed away. This is the gem of a brother I will always remember and miss. Peter was welcomed by paternal grandparents Edmund and Eleanor (nee Ratajczak) Chudzinski, maternal grandparents Walter and Irene (Myslinski) Palczewski, great-grandparents, Joseph and Bertha Ratajczak, Casimir (Kasiu) Naczek, Joseph and Mary Myslinski, and godfather Carl E. Chudzinski, all at rest in Buffalo, NY.

He is survived by his kind, ever loving, and encouraging father, Peter J. Chudzinski, Sr., whom he was named after and will keep in his constant prayers. He will be missed tremendously by Elizabeth and Jefferey Ogle, Anne and Eric McDonough, and Gregory and Kathleen Chudzinski. He will be remembered as the incredibly generous, fun, and brave Uncle Peter to Lila and Marley Ogle, Drake and Colin McDonough, and Jack, Liam, and Ryan Chudzinski. He never missed a moment to support them with a “Most Excellent” text on any of their accomplishments. He never boasted, but everyone knew of his love for his children. What may have been hard for him to express, was his true and deep love and admiration of his daughter Christine and her husband Liam Hilt, and son Jason and his wife Megan. His let them learn-and-fly parenting style allowed them to become strong and independent. Becoming a grandfather in 2022 brought him immense joy. He adored and loved visiting his grandson, Jacobi, and granddaughter, Blair. Peter will be remembered by Tracey, for whom their young lives began together and now live on through their beautiful children and grandchildren. In addition he will be missed by his loving aunts, especially his godmother Sandra (nee Palczewski) Young, uncles, and many cousins who he spent lots of special times with. He will be remembered by good friends from college, the firehouse, and recreation times, and in Mount Airy, NC. His constant companions, Carly and her sidekick, Honey, will miss his delivery of treats, his rib-eye steaks, his laugh, and walks in front of him. May Peter and the dogs be at peace in their new homes and may “God Bless.”

A private service will be held for the family.

A Mass of Intention will occur, where all friends of Peter’s are welcome to attend, on Thursday, May 7, 2026 at 6:00 pm at Corpus Christi Roman Catholic Church, Route 9 & Ushers Road, Clifton Park, NY.