Peter F. Gustafson

1939 - 2025

Peter F Gustafson
Peter F. Gustafson, aged 86, passed away on December 15, 2025, in Saddle River, NJ. Born on September 30, 1939, Peter was known for his intelligence, generosity, and good sense of humor. He loved to swim from a young age and was head lifeguard from 10th-12th grade at Island Beach in Greenwich, CT, where he grew up.
Peter graduated from Greenwich High School in 1957 and furthered his education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business. His professional life was marked by significant achievements in database management software development. He began his career at Ford Motor Credit in Dearborn, MI, where he created a groundbreaking software program. He later sold the program to General Data Systems (GDS), and Peter continued to refine his software through subsequent corporate transitions to Electronic Data Systems and finally Hewlett Packard, where he retired in 2007.
Outside of his professional endeavors, Peter had a passion for roller coasters, the beach, and swimming, and, from a young age, was enthralled by Grayhound buses. He also had a passion for coding long before it became popular, which was evident in his hobby when he created an electronic Scrabble-like game that included the entire Scrabble dictionary.
Peter was a beloved family man, survived by his wife, Beverly Gustafson (nee Tolchinsky); sons, Ron Bickart (Judy), Jeff Bickart (Laurie), and Aaron Bickart (Heidi); sister, Karen Stewart (David); and grandchildren, Samantha, Skylar (Aaron), Reese, Katie, Aidan, and Jaxon Bickart. He was preceded in death by his parents, Clifford and Evelyn Gustafson (nee Moylan).
In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Peter can be made to the Alzheimer's Association of Philadelphia at 399 Market St. #250, Philadelphia, PA 19106, or by calling (800)-272-3900.