Peter Eugene Thorngren

1952 - 2016

TEMPLE - Peter Eugene Thorngren, age 63, died on Apr. 18, 2016 at his home in Temple, surrounded by his loving family, after a long battle with lung cancer.

He was born on Sept. 14, 1952, in Concord, N.H. to the late James Julius Wright and Janet Paula (Troy) Thorngren. He grew up in New York and New Hampshire and was raised by his mother and step-father Carl Robert Thorngren. He completed high school in New Hampshire and in 1994 earned his baccalaureate from the Adult Degree Program at Vermont College of Norwich University.

Early in his career, Peter was a telephone lineman contractor with J.H. Walker Co. in Vermont and then with Continental Telephone Company in Maine. He built powerlines in New Hampshire with the Seaward Construction Company. He was transferred to Fort Kent, Maine as a telephone installer and was later promoted to supervisor in Stockton Springs, Maine. He was promoted again to Service Center Manager at Contel, again in Maine, and to State Manager with GTE Corporation in Hillsboro New Hampshire. In 1993, Peter helped build the first internet access for Wilton Telephone Company in New Hampshire and often made house calls to support customers with their new home computers. By 2004 he was working in Nashua, N.H. for EqualLogic, a computer data storage company later acquired by Dell, in IT customer support. He remained happily employed there well past his diagnosis.

Peter was a long-time member of the Temple Volunteer Fire Department and was a nationally registered EMT/I. He was also a nationally registered ski patroller at Temple Mountain for many years. He was a member of the international firefighters' motorcycle club, the Red Knights NH, Chapter IV.

He loved motorcycling, hiking, camping, fishing, and sailing. Peter was an avid, industrious gardener who built two hoop houses, a root cellar, and a huge gravity-fed irrigation system. With a deep respect for the land, he harvested honey from the bees he kept, maple syrup from the trees he tapped, jam and wine from his raspberries, and copious amounts of preserved vegetables from his massive gardens. He also grew and ground rye to bake his own bread. Known as "Farmer Pete," he often brought eggs and honey into work to sell and share and donated vegetables to S.H.A.R.E Food Pantry in Milford. Peter was a registered Usui and Karuna Reiki Master and a blackbelt in Uechi-Ryu Karate.

Peter is survived by his wife of 24 years, Barbara Ann (Carstens) Thorngren; his son, Alex Thorngren of Norwich, Vt. Wife, Naomi and daughter, Clara; and son, Ashley-Michael Brampton currently stationed in Kodiak, Alaska, wife, Ashley and sons, Aiden and Cole. He is also survived by his mother, Janet Thorngren of Greenville; a sister, Susan Barmore of Portsmouth, N.H. husband, Robert sons, Ryan and Troy; a sister-in-law, Victoria E. Mellon of Temple, husband, Keith Olewine and children, Tim, Emma-Rose, Sam, and Noah; nieces Samantha and Elizabeth; grand-niece Isabelle-Rose; and Aunt Bessie. He was predeceased by his father and his sister Cecelia Irene (Wright) McHugh.

A memorial celebration of Peter's life will be held on Saturday, Apr. 23, at 2 p.m. at the Congregational Church of Temple, 17 Main Street, Temple followed by a reception. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to his local hospice pet program. Please write checks to "Hospice at HCS/Pet Peace of Mind Program," and mail to Hospice at HCS, 312 Marlboro Street, Keene, N.H. 03431.