Richard V. Peer

1925 - 2013

Formerly of Corning and Painted Post | Richard V. Peer, age 88, of East Syracuse, NY, and formerly of Painted Post and Corning, NY, died Monday, November 18, 2013, at Van Duyn Home and Hospital in Syracuse.
Dick was born on March 19,1925, in Corning to Henry and Mary Belle (Grant) Peer. Dick was a proud graduate of Campbell Central School, Class of 1943.
He served in the Air Force and Army during World War II and had been in the Battle of the Bulge. Following his military service, Dick attended Syracuse University School of Journalism and began his career in journalism in 1949 as the editor of weekly newspapers in Potsdam, NY, and Circleville and Chillicothe, OH.
From 1951 through 1961 he was managing editor of the Massena, NY Observer.
He married Winifred Toelke in 1951 in Glen Head, NY.
In 1961 Dick and Winnie moved to Corning where he became the city editor of The Evening Leader.
He subsequently became the managing editor of the paper in 1972.
He retired as the editor of The Leader in 1987. Following retirement Dick continued to write articles called "Peering" for the newspaper for many years and had a radio talk show on WCLI.
In 1980 Dick and Winnie opened the first bed and breakfast in the area called The Rosewood Inn located on First Street in Corning.
He was a member of Grace United Methodist Church in Corning and the United Methodist Church of Fayetteville, NY.
Dick was a past president of the Corning Lions Club where he received the Melvin Jones Fellow Award, was a charter member of the Campbell American Legion, belonged to the Corning VFW, and was inducted into the Steuben County Hall of Fame in 2004.
Dick had past leadership roles in the Corning Area Chamber of Commerce, Bethany Retirement Center, and the United Way.
He was a member of the Massena Masonic Lodge No. 513 and was a 32nd Degree Mason with the Scottish Rite Valley of Corning.
He is survived by his wife, Winifred, of East Syracuse; two daughters, Susan (Carl) Scheu of Sherrill, NY, and Amy (Richard) Phillips of Wilmington, NC; one son, Steven Peer of East Syracuse; a sister, Joyce Ingham of Horseheads; grandchildren, April Peer of Greenville, NC, David Peer of Oneida, NY, Saralynn Scheu of Atlanta, GA, and Roxanne Scheu and Aileen (Jarrod) Genge, both of Sherrill, NY; and great-grandchildren, Jarrod Genge, Kennedy Genge, and Braydin Peer.
Calling hours will be held on Sunday, November 24th from 2 until 5 PM at Haughey Funeral Home, Inc., 216 East First Street in Corning.
Funeral services will be held at Grace United Methodist Church, 191 Bridge Street in Corning on Monday, November 25th at 11:00 AM with Reverend Donald Guiles officiating.
Burial will be in Hope Cemetery Annex.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Richard Peer Scholarship Fund at the Community Foundation of Elmira-Corning and the Finger Lakes, 301 S. Main Street, Horseheads, NY 14845; Grace United Methodist Church; or the Corning-Painted Post Historical Society, 59 W. Pulteney Street, Corning, NY 14830.
Dick's family has entrusted his care to Haughey Funeral Home, Inc.