Peter G. Robart

HAMPTON FALLS - Peter G. Robart, 66, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family, on Sunday, May 21, 2017, at the Edgewood Center in Portsmouth, after a long period of declining health. He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Jane Shanahan, of Hampton Falls; his daughter, Katherine Robart Bal, and her husband, Erik Bal, of Minneapolis, Minn.; his daughter Jennifer Robart, and her fiancée, Matt Campbell, of Medford, Mass.; his brother, Mark Robart, and his wife Lisa Borinsky, of Somerville, Mass.; several nieces and nephews, and his beloved yellow lab, Teddy. He was predeceased by his mother and father, Joan and Frank Robart, of Needham, Mass.

Peter grew up in Needham and was a 1969 graduate of Needham High School. He was a 1973 graduate of the University of New Hampshire. Peter co-founded Bavarian Autosport in 1974, Great Bay Spa and Sauna in 1978, and Selectwood in 1982, in Newmarket, N.H., with his two longtime friends and business partners, Mark Ruddy and Dave Wason. The businesses relocated to Portsmouth in 1995. The three friends remained co-owners of the businesses until the time of Peter's passing.

Peter and Jane were residents of Hampton Falls for 40 years, where Peter was deeply involved in town government, serving as a Selectman from 2003-2006. His volunteer leadership of the Town Improvement Committee and the Recreation Commission resulted in many projects that will continue to benefit residents for years to come. Peter also served on the Capital Improvement Committee and Planning Board.

Peter was a man of many passions, including windsurfing, skiing, golf, jazz, woodworking, and ice hockey, which he played multiple times a week until his illness. He loved spending time at home with his family and was never happier than when he was outside mowing his lawn or working in his garden with Jane.

The Robart family is grateful to the nurses and staff at the Edgewood Center for the loving care Peter received.

SERVICES: A celebration of Peter's life will be held in the coming weeks. Please visit the Brewitt Funeral Home website (http://www.brewittfuneralhome.com) for further details.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Peter Robart Scholarship Fund at UNH. These donations should be made payable to the UNH Foundation, 9 Edgewood Rd., Durham, NH, 03824 or online at https://www.unh.edu/give/ and please reference the Peter Robart Scholarship Fund in the memo line.