H. Peter Montminy Jr.

1937 - 2025

H. Peter Montminy, Jr.

October 1, 1937 - March 16, 2025

State College, Pennsylvania - H. Peter Montminy Jr., age 87, recently of State College, PA died on March 16, 2025. He was born on October 1, 1937 in Arlington, MA to the late Henry P. and Marjorie (Smith) Montminy. On April 4, 1959 he married his college sweetheart and the love of his life, Janet (Manning) Montminy. At the time of his death, they had been married nearly 65 years – treasuring their 4 children, 12 grandchildren, and 6 great-grandchildren, together.

Pete graduated from Matignon Catholic High School in Cambridge, MA in 1954, before graduating from the University of Massachusetts in 1958, where he majored in Food Technology and Management. He was an Army ROTC student there, as well as a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, and a three-sport college athlete in football, ice hockey, and wrestling.

After graduating with honors, Pete served as an active-duty Army Officer, stationed for two years in Augsburg, Germany. He continued serving as a First Lieutenant in the Army Reserves, leading his platoon to earn a Superior Unit Award.

The son of a baker, Pete put his food science degree to good use, going to work at Mrs. Smith's Pie Company in Pottstown, PA. Over nearly two decades, he worked his way up through the management ranks there, becoming the Vice President of Procurement – in charge of buying the ingredients that went into all their baked goods. He spent his last three decades of work as a grain broker and owner of the Whitman A. Rice Co. in Philadelphia – selling food ingredients to the major U.S. baking companies. He was a member of the American Society of Bakery Engineers and the American Institute of Baking.

Pete had many interests that he pursued as vigorously as he did his professional career. He raced motorcycles, setting several national records with the American Motorcycle Drag Racing Association (AMDRA) in the 1960's and 70's. He became an avid Citizen's Band Radio operator and part of the Civil Defense Patrol. He always enjoyed sports, especially Indy and NASCAR racing, and his beloved Boston sports teams. Fun fact: he was a bat boy for Ted Williams and the Red Sox in the 1940's.

But more than anything, Pete had a life-long love of sailing. He grew up sailing at the Winchester Boat Club in Massachusetts. He returned to sailing in his retirement years, spending much of his time with his first mate, Janet, sailing around the Chesapeake Bay on their Alberg 30, or entering – and often winning – sanctioned races with his sons crewing for him. He enjoyed many years on the northeastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay, especially at the Great Oak Yacht Club in Chestertown, MD, where he served as Commodore.

Pete was a member of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary and became a licensed commercial Captain, sailing boats up and down the intercoastal waterway of the eastern US seaboard. In later years, Pete and Janet enjoyed sailing their Gulfstar 39 down to their winter home at Shelter Cove Marina on Hilton Head Island. All his life, he skippered his green-hulled sailboats, aptly named "Allegro", swiftly through the seas and on to new adventures.

Above all, Pete was a loyal and loving family man. He took great pride in his kids and treasured the times with his grandkids – especially at the family reunions every year at "Grandma and Granddad's" for Thanksgiving. In recent years, he gleefully enjoyed time with his great-grandkids at family holidays and backyard barbeques.

In addition to his wife, Pete is survived by 4 children: Peter Montminy and his wife Mary of Centre Hall, PA, Tom Montminy and his wife Terry of Falmouth, MA, Deb Woodson and her husband Joe of Cheshire, CT, and Pat Erickson and her husband Andrew, of Rock Hill, SC.

He is survived by 12 grandchildren, including Jen Krempa, Sarah (and Nate) Brown, Kevin (and Alicia) Montminy, Hannah Montminy, Giselle Montminy, Henry Montminy, Brigitte Montminy, Erin Woodson, Kelli Woodson, Kenneth (and Rachel) Erickson, Dana Erickson, & William Erickson. He is also survived by 6 great-grandchildren (and counting!) – Johannes Krempa, Thisbe Krempa, Isaac Brown, Silas Brown, Antoinette Montminy, and Kaden Montminy.

Pete is survived by his sister Phyllis Kilpatrick, as well as sister-in-law, Anne Montminy, sister-in-law Susan Shores, and brother-in-law John Manning and his wife Lydia Graves. Two brothers, John Montminy and Richard Montminy, preceded him in death.

Friends will be received from 4:00pm – 5:00 pm on Friday, March 28, 2025 with a funeral service immediately following at 5:00pm at the Haky/Georgiana Centre County Funeral Home, 1034 Benner Pike, State College, PA 16801, Father Michael Wolfe officiating. Interment will take place at Centre County Memorial Park, with a brief prayer service and full military honors at 10:00am, Saturday, March 29, 2025.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Pete's memory may be made to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, which he was so fond of. An online guestbook may be signed and condolences left for the family at www.hakygeorgianafh.com.