Peter Millar Addis

Peter Millar Addis

December 23, 1943 – January 29, 2024

Peter was born in Buffalo, NY and was raised by his mother, Dee (Dorothy M.) and her mother, Bell M. Harris, while his father Don (Donald J.) was serving in Army Intelligence during WWII. The family grew up with Dan (Daniel H.) and Bill (William P.).

They had moved to an unincorporated area south of Syracuse called DeWitt, with open fields and a farm nearby. Peter showed an early interest in science by collecting butterflies and discovering fossils.

In 1955 his father got a promotion and transfer to the main office of Kemper Insurance in Chicago, IL, so the family moved to the northern suburb of Winnetka.

The whole family was active in the Scouting Movement and Peter was elected into the Order of the Arrow. Some summers were at Camp Owakonze in Ontario, Canada, going on canoe trips. He was an honor student at New Trier Township Highschool and earned a National Merit Scholarship to go to M.I.T., majoring in Mathematics.

Being left-handed gave him an advantage on the M.I.T. fencing team. He later earned a Master's Degree from Boston College. He made a career of writing computer software and eventually started his own consulting firm; Systems Software Architects Inc.

In 1982 Peter married Olga Morozow. They travelled the world, including exotic places like Easter Island. They went to many Gem and Mineral Shows and countless concerts and other events. They loved their cats. Peter excelled in chess and other board games and succeeded in Scrabble Tournaments.

In 2012 Olga succumbed to cancer. Peter felt lost without her, so in 2014 he moved to Corvallis where his brothers resided. He played bridge and took up hiking.

In 2015 he met Gypsy (Vicki W.). Her interest in belly dancing provided a new life for Peter, taking and posting videos of her performances as "Gypsy Butterfly." Each of them had a cat and shared many interests. Peter enjoyed singing karaoke. Though not legally married, they became committed partners, and wore wedding rings to signify the seriousness of their relationship.

Peter had an unbridled sense of humor and was often telling jokes. His artistic talent was evident in his funny hamster cartoons. He was a loving and lovable person, with a very high intelligence, belonging to MENSA. It all added up to an interesting life: 80.1 years equals four score and some more. He loved wildlife and had a wild life.

For more please visit the McHenry Funeral Home website. Memorial Services will be held Friday, March 1, 2024 at 1:00pm at the McHenry Funeral Home Chapel.