Peter Alexander Acimovic

"I HAVE LIVED A GOOD LIFE."

Peter Alexander Acimovic - of Madison, CT - passed away on May 26, 2023. He was born February 13, 1946, in Poseč, Czechoslovakia. He was 77, or - as he would have put it (much to the delight of his grandchildren) - "older than dirt." Peter is survived by his wife of 50 years - Peggy Acimovic (née Lefferts) - his two children - Jessica Acimovic Bondi (Joseph Bondi) and Jason Acimovic (Cathy Braasch) - and his younger brother - Karl. He was fortunate to have 4 grandchildren whom he loved (and joked with) very much: Margaret (Mimi), Catherine (Coco), Olivia, and Aiden.

Peter frequently said "I have lived a good life." This is true in both senses of the word 'good.' Not only was his life full and fulfilling, but he also made decisions that echoed his strong value system, being described by many of his peers and colleagues as "a good man."

FROM POSEČ TO PATENTS

Peter's mother's side (the Hanika family) had lived around Poseč for hundreds of years. Shortly after World War II ended - when Peter was a baby - his family took only the belongings they could carry with them and left the country. They relocated to Rothwesten, a small village outside of Kassel, Germany, where Peter grew up.

In 1955, Peter and his family immigrated to the United States, living first in Michigan, and then settling down in Brooklyn, Connecticut. Peter earned his associate's degree from Hartford State Technical College before going on to study mechanical engineering at the University of New Haven and later earning his Professional Engineer (PE) license. He began his career working in power generation at The United Illuminating Company (UI) in New Haven and then Bridgeport, CT. It was here in Bridgeport that he spent 30 years in operations at the power plant. Peter loved his job, and he often said it was because he loved working with the people. As he grew older, he would still talk fondly of his co-workers there as one of the highlights of his life. After leaving United Illuminating, he worked as a superintendent for NRG at a plant in Norwalk, then as a regional director, and later at his own consulting firm. Peter also has a patent in his name for a Steam Drying apparatus.

ROSES ARE RED, VIOLETS ARE BLUE, FROM ROAD TRIPS TO CRUISES, WE MISS YOU

Peter's life was punctuated by five recurring themes: family, service, laughter, travel, and engineering.

Family was first among these. He dedicated his life to his wife, kids, and grandkids, consistently choosing family vacations, weekends-at-home, and his kids' education over jobs, money, and things. On weekends, at various points in his life, he could be found watching cartoons with his children, cycling across the Shoreline, or stopping at Dunkin Donuts to grab a cup of coffee (always remembering to bring home donuts for his kids!). Frequently, he marked life occasions by crafting simple cards with amateur drawings and "roses are red, violets are blue" poems for his wife and kids, which they treasured. Peter was a constructor of tree forts, builder of go-karts, provider of financial security, chauffeur to basketball games and shopping malls, cheerleader at his kids' musical performances and sporting events, expert car packer for family road trips, and explainer of how things work. Above all, he was a proud family man, who made clear to his wife and children he would do anything for them.

In addition to being the bedrock of his immediate family, he also gave to the community throughout his life. From Brooklyn to Northford to North Madison (where he was a Life Member), he volunteered with local Connecticut fire departments wherever he lived. Weekly, he would meet and train with his co-volunteers, ready to respond at any time (often in the middle of the night) to fires and accidents. He later took on leadership roles in the North Madison Volunteer Fire Department. He never stopped helping others, even when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's 12 years ago. He volunteered for multiple clinical trials at Yale Hospital, knowing they were unlikely to improve his own condition, and chose to donate his brain for further research upon his passing, with the hope that others might benefit from the findings over time.

Peter also had a great sense of humor. His favorite sources of laughs were The Far Side, Liar, Liar, John Candy movies, Home Alone, National Lampoon movies, The Three Stooges, Looney Tunes, and MAD Magazine. His family fondly remembers him laughing to the point of tears.

Travel was also a passion of Peter's. He loved national parks, seeing the country by car, and Route 66, driving his family over tens of thousands of miles of American roads. Peter and his wife also enjoyed seeing the world by cruise ship (oftentimes with longtime friends as travel companions) visiting South America, Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean.

Finally, a love of engineering ran through his life. One of his first jobs was helping to repair and drive trucks at an oil delivery service in Brooklyn, CT. From then on, he was always fixing something, from cars on the weekends to household plumbing in the middle of the night to power plants during the workday. His love of engineering also extended to the admiration of well-designed mechanical things. This included a love of Porsches - of which he owned various models from his 20s to his 60s - to planes to tractor trailer trucks to large ships (he always tried to get the captain's tour on cruise ships and enjoyed traveling through the Panama Canal, so he could watch the locks in action). But most of all he loved trains. From watching VHS recordings of trains to taking the Trans-Siberian Express (a trip he considered a life highlight) to hanging out at Horseshoe Curve, being around trains was where he felt most at peace.

Although Peter has passed on, his grandchildren's high tolerance for cold, love of ice cream and trains, fascination with how things work, and desire to fix things serve as daily reminders of him to his wife and children.

REMEMBERING PETER

No immediate services will be held. Donations in Peter's name can be made to the following organizations:

--National Railway Historical Society (https://nrhs.com). This organization supports train, railway, and station preservation. Donation link: https://nrhs.app.neoncrm.com/forms/giving

--National Trust for Historic Preservation's campaign to protect Route 66 (https://savingplaces.org/places/historic-route-66). Donation link: https://support.savingplaces.org/page/7273/donate/.

Additionally, Peter's family invites you to carry on his memory by doing something he would have loved: eating a soft-serve ice cream cone, drinking a Pabst Blue Ribbon or Bud Light, taking a train or road trip, watching a funny movie, fixing something around the house, listening to "Highway Men" or the bagpipe version of "Amazing Grace", seeing a national park, taking a long bike ride, or any other activity that reminds you of the good times you shared with Pete. We also invite you to share your memories of Pete below in the Guestbook. His family would love to hear your recollections in order to carry on his memory to later generations.