Richard Joseph Peyron

Richard Joseph Peyron was born to Agnes Leonard Peyron and Joseph Peyron on September 25th 1931 in Valley Stream, Long Island. He was an only child who grew up in a home with his mother, maternal grandmother Elizabeth, aunts, and cousin Leonard Barrett.
Richard spent his childhood building model planes and forming his mechanical skills. Though his cousin Leonard was nearly ten years older than him, Richard and Leonard were very close. He spent his time with Leonard, and other friends such as Henry Christman, and Charlie Miller, who lived in the same house that the Leonards' rented.
Richard's classmates knew him as a "shining light." One of his jobs as a youngster was to exercise horses by taking bareback rides out of the stables. He recalls hanging for dear life onto the front end of a polo horse after it turned on a dime. Richard and his friends would ride around in cars listening to tunes such as Russ Morgan's "I Hear Music."
Richard was drafted into the marine corps and performed maintenance work on airplanes. He was fascinated by airplanes and mechanics since his boyhood and he was wonderful at his work. He and his mother exchanged many letters during this time.
Richard earned some college credits and was employed by the phone company for some time. When he collected change from phone booths, he would keep all of the Mercury Dimes he discovered and he would replace them with regular dimes. He then began his long term employment as a mechanic and maintenance man at NYU. He fondly remembered his work there for the rest of his life, noting it to be his best job.
Richard married the love of his life, Margaret Mary O'Brien, on November 25th 1961, at the Blessed Sacrament Church in Valley Stream. Together they had four children: Daniel, Kathleen, Christopher, and Elizabeth. Despite not having a present father in his own life, Richard was the most loving and patient father and grandfather.
In the 80s, Richard purchased a second home for his family at Hedges Lake. This decision created multigenerational joy and entered the family into a loving community of fellow lake-goers. Richard's children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren all grew up in part at Hedges Lake. The Peyron lake house is to this day decorated with wooden duck statues and model planes dancing on the walls. Richard nailed horseshoes over several of the doors for luck.
Even into his old age, Richard would go for dips in the lake and discuss the importance of being able to float. He maintained a hummingbird feeder on the porch as he was fascinated by them. He was notoriously kind to animals- the fire pit out front was not allowed to be lit because it housed a family of bunnies. Though he was at war with the woodchucks in his garage, he would not lay a finger on them. His sons purchased houses at Hedges Lake as well and Richard loved to be close by to them every summer. Whenever anyone needed something repaired, Richard would take them down to his basement workshop where he kept his five minute epoxy.
As Richard aged, he expressed incredible optimism about his health and the future. His mind remained sharp as glass and though he had a more difficult time getting to and fro, everyone gained something from a chat with Richard. He continued to assist with troubles and repairs into his final days.
Richard is survived by a large and loving family, including his wife Margaret; sons Daniel (Inge) and Christopher (Dorothy); daughters Kathleen (Eric) and Elizabeth; grandsons Daniel (Chandler), Eric, and Dominic; granddaughters Christine (Stephen), Lauren, Megan (Ilya), Lily, Grace, Caroline, Evelyn, and Danielle; and great-grandsons Patrick, Henry, and Lucas.
He is predeceased by his mother Agnes; aunts Edna, Vera, Ethel, and Carrie; and cousins Leonard and Virginia.
Richard never said goodbye as a rule; always "so long." This is a tradition that he carried from his mother Agnes.
So long, Richard. Thank you for everything.