John Joseph Peter

September 5, 2012

John Joseph Peter passed away peacefully at home in Jamesville, at the age of 99 on September 5, 2012. He was born in the town of Lansing on May 22, 1913. He was the oldest of the eight children of Joseph and Helen Mike Peter. As such, it was said, that he had the least enviable job of trying to help the family survive the Depression.

He worked on the family farm and construction before finding a job at Morse Chain in Ithaca. At that time John met and married his one and only love, his wife Charlotte. And there is no doubt that they were quite a couple for 68 wonderful years.

John moved to Syracuse and started a new career in 1944 when he opened up a little hole-in-the-wall grocery store with an apartment in the rear. His ambition was to have a large supermarket, and in 1959 it happened; he started Peter's Foodliner on Colvin St. and Nottingham Rd. It was the first IGA in Syracuse, and he was the driving force that started an independent grocery movement in the Syracuse area. Eventually this group of stores was known as the Hometown Group.

During his life, John was president of the NY State Grocers Association for 12 years, partner and president of O'Connor Mosher Wholesale Groceries, member of the board of directors and a president of the New York State Food Merchants Association. He also was a staunch advocate for unions--first being a union steward at Morse Chain in Ithaca, then serving 24 years as a trustee for the UFCW Union Benefit and Pension Plan as well as being a proud member of the UFCW membership plan for his employees in Syracuse.

John was active in his church, St. Elias Orthodox Church, where he was a member of the board of directors and responsible for its yearly fund drive for many years. He was a member of the diocese's Order of St. Ignatius, an organization of Antiochian laity that through financial and spiritual giving was an outreach of the church into the world to provide for those in need and spread the word of God.

John was a Master Mason, a member of the Scottish Rite Bodies, the Tigris Shrine and the Syracuse Court of Royal Order of Jesters. And if that were not enough, he was an avid golfer and a member of Bellevue and Drumlins country clubs. His enthusiasm for the game and his fellow golfers made everyone's day a bit brighter.

He was predeceased by his wife, Charlotte, who died in 2010; daughter Lorraine, who died in 2005; and also predeceased by his five brothers, Jake, Mitch, George, Sam and Moses.

He leaves behind two children, Joe (Jan) and Vicky (Bob), and a son-in-law, Lou. He is also survived by his sisters, Susie and Laura; his sister-in-law, Ruth; and his grandchildren, Michael (Kristen), Steve, Brian, John and Julie.

John dearly loved his family, his friends and his many loyal employees who worked with him in the grocery business over the years. He truly lived his motto of "Peter's is for People" every day. His zest for life, his work ethic and his love, compassion and generosity will be sorely missed by all who knew him.

The calling hours for John will be on Tuesday September 11, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Greenleaf Funeral Home at 503 W. Onondaga Street in Syracuse. The Trisagion Service will be held at 6:45 p.m.

The funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, September 12, at St. Elias Orthodox Church at 4988 Onondaga Rd.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in John's memory to St. Elias Orthodox Church, Building Fund.