Dean Everett Peckham

1943 - 2023

Dean Everett Peckham
Dean Everett Peckham, 80, of New Haven CT, passed away surrounded by his children at Yale New Haven Hospital Saint Raphael on August 20th, 2023 due to complications from end stage Parkinson's Disease.
Dean was born in Boston, MA, May 4th, 1943, and grew up in Deep River, CT. He was the eldest of Elaine C. Peckham's & Everett J. Peckham's children. Dean attended Choate Rosemary Hall preparatory school and then college at Harvard University, developing tennis skills that earned him a spot in the U.S. Open qualifiers round. Dean later earned his law degree from Boston University. He married his first wife in 1965 (Suzanne Clark), and they lived together in Boston while he attended BU and she attended The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. During this time, Dean discovered his passion for travel, beginning his travels with Suzanne in Europe. He spent the next four decades traveling the world and accomplishing his goal of visiting every country in the world during his lifetime. Dean loved the opportunity to directly encounter and learn more about the peoples and cultures he visited around the world.
After graduating BU, Dean joined his father's law practice, which became Peckham & Peckham Law Office in Deep River, CT. Dean and Suzanne lived in Essex, CT and had two daughters. Dean and Suzanne divorced in 1980, and after several years in law practice, Dean felt this work was not true to his evolving nature. He was quoted in a Hartford Courant article stating:
"'I don't offer quick fixes anymore…Lawyers become seduced into helping their clients when it would be better if they suffered the consequences sometimes.'
Peckham does not dismiss the value of lawyers, but believes the law often acts as a Band-Aid to bigger problems:
'We need to use faith to help us survive this world,' he says." (Article Creds: Kathryn Kranhold).
Dean wanted to dedicate himself to serving the spiritual needs of people. He earned his Master of Divinity degree from Yale Divinity School, and met his second wife there, Pastor Ruth Anita Drews. Dean and Ruth were married in 1986 and had one son together. They lived in New Haven, both serving as pastors of different congregations– Ruth in downtown New Haven, and Dean at Deep River Baptist Church. Dean and Ruth divorced in 2017, after 31 years of marriage.
As Dean's values and goals continued to evolve, he became a mediator with Community Mediation, Inc., a New Haven-based community action group. His background in law and work as a pastor served him well to resolve many differences through his mediation service work.
Becoming very involved with social justice causes, Dean particularly had a passion for defending the rights of refugees from other countries, which undoubtedly came from first-hand experience of the conditions in many countries he had visited. Dean did not turn a blind eye to the suffering of others, and he firmly believed in the importance of helping to ease the suffering of those less fortunate and seeking a better life. This became his last and final focus of service, participating in rallies, protests, and community meetings. He remained committed to this work until his final days, when he was physically no longer able to do so.
Dean leaves behind two daughters (Lori K. Peckham and Issette ((Holly)) M. Peckham), one son (Daniel J. Peckham), a daughter-in-law (Emma C. Boyd), and a sister (Pamela M. Peckham). Additionally, Dean leaves behind countless people whose lives he touched with his dedication and service in law, divinity work, mediation, and social justice.
A Celebration of Life service in honor of Dean Everett Peckham will be held Nov. 4th, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. at First and Summerfield United Methodist Church, 425 College St, New Haven, CT 06511.