Peter James Dwyer

1936 - 2023

Peacefully, after a long illness, Dad's earthly existence ended on October 19, 2023 as he made his way to a massive ceilidh with his ancestors.Peter James Dwyer was born to Patrick and Ruth Dwyer in Oneida, NY in 1936. He grew up in Sherrill, graduated from VVS High School in 1954, and attended Guilford College in North Carolina. He and Carol Hope were united in marriage in 1965 and together raised six children (Yours, Mine and Ours). Peter was a hands-on dad, teaching the kids how to ride bikes, water and snow ski, and passing on to them his love of music, lakes and mountains. He loved their annual vacations to the Adirondacks, enjoying decades of camping, swimming, boating and fishing trips.He raised his family via a career in the finance world, beginning at International Heater and Air Conditioning Corporation, followed by CST Co, and finally as a self-employed life insurance agent and owner of the P.J. Dwyer Agency.Dad loved music, boating, hunting, golf, skiing, history related to WWII, and travel. Flying his Piper Cub was his favorite solo hobby. He was a founding and 50-year member of the Oneida Area Civic Chorale, performed with his friends in the barbershop quartet Shine, and also sang in the choir at St. John's Episcopal Church, where he was a warden for many years. He was a long-time member of the Oneida Lion's Club where he was involved in their organ donation program.Dad's favorite activities were often intertwined as he and Mom traveled to numerous places to quench their thirst for adventure. Much of this fun took place with their dear friends Ed & Sue Miller. The foursome vacationed and golfed together on Hilton Head Island for many years. In addition, Mom and Dad traveled to Florida and Virginia Beach to golf. Their holidays included trips to Hawaii, Colorado, Germany, and Austria.Having kids spread around the world offered opportunities to travel to North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New York City, Alberta, Quebec, Ontario, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Germany.Dad had quite a way with words, and continuously surprised us with colorful and hilarious comments and sayings. In the interest of public decency, we will not share any here! Undoubtedly, his friends can recite at least a few as they remember how he often had them in stitches with a well-timed one-liner. Twice a week he could be found having breakfast with his buddies at a local diner prior to playing pool at the CAC in Sherrill.More than any activity, though, Dad loved his family. Predeceased by his parents, sisters, and brothers-in-law (Gloria & Ken Richmond, Nancy & Mike Ferrio), Peter is survived by his beloved wife of 58 years, Carol (Hope) Dwyer and their children: Mark and Kelli Wait of Macungie, PA; Paula & Tom Warden of Oakville, ON; Jim and Kim Dwyer of Oneida; Greg and Barbra Wait of Raleigh, NC; Tracy Wait Dowd of Oneida; and Nancy and Cliff Brown of New Rochelle, NY. Peter leaves behind several grandchildren: Jenn Richey (Drew); Evan and Marley Wait; Sarah, Jason (Shweta) and Shannon Warden; Bailey, Shannon, and Megan Dwyer; Loren and Marshall Wait; Katie and Emily Dowd; and Griffin and Jeremy Brown; and 3 Great-grandsons: Ethan and Graham Slocum and Callum Peter Michael O'Reilly. Peter is also predeceased by 3 nieces and is survived by several beloved nieces and nephews. The family wishes to thank the staff at Oneida Healthcare for Dad's care during his final stay, particularly Dr. Vanderhoof, Dr. Lall, and Dr. Lorenc, and nurses Bree and Barb. We would also like to thank Barbara Boyer Babcock, whose CPR skills allowed Dad to survive a cardiac arrest in 2012 and give him 11 more years to spend with us! Thanks also to extraordinary neighbors Chris and Stacy Jones and Tom and Anna Collins for going above and beyond simply being neighborly all these years.Visitation will be held at Campbell Dean Funeral Home, Inc., 260 Main Street, Oneida, on Friday, December 29th from 4 â€" 7pm. Funeral services will be held at St. John's Episcopal Church on Saturday, December 30th at 12:00 pm. Interment will be made at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, please become an organ donor and/or donate to St. John's Episcopal Church in Oneida or The Lions Club International in his honor. To leave a message of condolence, please visit www.campbell-dean.com.Finally, the best way to pay respects to Dad is to raise a glass in his name - preferably a Perfect Manhattan on the rocks. https://www.lastingmemories.com/peter-james-dwyer