Peter Wenckus

Date of Death: March 19, 2020
Date of Birth: February 1, 1956
If you were one of the fortunate people who met or knew Peter, the thought of no more of his hugs, kisses, or handshakes, or of never again hearing his hearty chuckle or seeing his twinkling blue eyes, is beyond comprehension.
Peter was born February 1st, 1956 in Farmington, Maine, and died March 19th, 2020, from cancer. He met his wife Donna in 1978 at the quarry in Hallowell. They married in May of 1982 and had 3 remarkable children, Jessica, Anthony and Samuel.
He led a life full of love, loss, and uncertainty, making sometimes unfortunate, and at other times, wonderful choices. An avid believer in the simple life, Peter loved being outside, puttering in the garden, building things, and brewing his own potions. He found joy in fishing, floating, and listening to loud music! He was an errant hunter and gatherer of things that might have proven useful...down the road.
Not a believer in carrying any debt, Peter made providing for his family the most important thing. With family and friends, Peter built his own house in Pittston, where he lived for over 30 years. He brought fallow land back to life and raised chickens, turkeys and pigs. He grew food, made maple syrup and grew apples. He and Donna then purchased property in Randolph, which they rebuilt to become their current residence. Peter was working on bringing this piece of land back to life until he could no longer physically do so.
Peter loved sports. He enjoyed basketball, but his favorite sport was baseball. It brought him such joy to watch and teach his children the fine art of playing these games. He was a natural coach.
A relentless worker, Peter refinished furniture, then sanded floors for Paul Brochu before starting his own refinishing business, which he continued to do for over 30 years. He loved to bring out the beauty of every type of wood. He also worked as head custodian at Whitefield Elementary, a job that he took great pride in.
Peter was predeceased by his parents, Grace Graham & Joseph Wenckus; brother, Joseph Wenckus; step fathers, Peter Murphy and Donnell Graham; and brother-in-law, Rueben Merrill. He is survived by his wife, Donna; daughter, Jessica Talbot and her husband John, of Gardiner; grandsons Seamus and Liam; son, Anthony Joseph, his partner Sarah Sutherburg of Pittston; Sarah's children Lana and Johnny; son, Samuel Peter and his wife, Megan of Brunswick; sister, Meg Merrill of Manchester and Meg's children Erica and Thomas; brother, John and his wife Terry of Antrim, NH and their son Ian; Peter's late brother Joe's children, Brooke and Joey; step sister and brother, Vicky Niles and Peter Murphy; and many nieces and nephews. All held a place in his heart.
Peter endured more than his share of hardship, both physically and emotionally, over the course of his life. He was charming, shy, sweet and generous to a fault. He met these challenges with quiet strength and resilience. As he lived his life, he left it on his own terms, peacefully in his sleep.
A Native American-based celebratory fire will be held at a later date, where family and friends can gather to celebrate the gentle soul that was our beloved Peter.