Peter Frederick Sielman

4/13/1933 - 12/2/2025

Salem - It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Peter Frederick Sielman, who passed away Dec. 2, 2025, at the Backus Hospital in Norwich after a sudden illness. Peter was born April 13, 1933 in Munich, Germany, and celebrated his seventy-third consecutive 19th birthday earlier this year.

Peter's loss will be mourned by many but felt most significantly by his family. Peter was a devoted and loving husband, father and grandfather. In 1957, Peter married the love of his life, Ann Bailey Stoddard in the Princeton Friends Quaker Meeting. Peter and Ann had four children whom they raised in Huntington, N.Y., and eleven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, whom they cherished in Salem. His family knew him to be caring, mischievous, funny, and welcoming of all newcomers into the Sielman family traditions.

He is survived by Ann, his loving wife of 68 years; their four children and their spouses: Martha Sielman and David Shaiken of Amston, Richard and Dana Sielman of Walnut Creek, Calf., Rebecca Sielman and Charlie Kuchenbrod of North Granby and Drs. Emily and Mike Leuthner of New Glarus, Wis.; their eleven grandchildren and their spouses to whom he was known as "Papa Pierre:" Ben Shaiken and Brunilda Ferraj, Katie and Paul Chicharello, Daniel and Casey Shaiken, Lucy Shaiken and Brandon Tracy, Jon Shaiken, Grant Sielman, Molly Sielman, Mary Kuchenbrod, Charles Kuchenbrod, Logan Leuthner, and Silas Leuthner; three great-grandchildren, Dashamir, Charlotte and Annabelle; and numerous extended family members and friends.

Peter was the son of the late Hans Richard and Otty Marie (Wexler) Sielman. He, his late older sister Lotte (Sielman) Streisinger, and his parents emigrated to the United States in 1938, narrowly escaping Nazi persecution. They settled in New York City, where Peter attended Fieldston Ethical Culture primary school, followed by Bronx High School of Science, and then on to Swarthmore College, majoring in math while playing varsity soccer for four years. He graduated in 1954, with highest honors, Phi Beta Kappa. In 1959, he earned a master's degree in applied math from Brown University.

Peter's career was varied and versatile. He began working on the earliest digital computers, then on ground control systems for classified programs for NASA and the U.S. military. He started and headed the communications systems department at Airborne Instruments Laboratory, where he co-invented the Adaptive Ground Implemented Phased Array. He also held the company tennis championship for two years. Peter and Ann relocated to Salem, in 1988 where he ran the New London office of Purvis Systems. The company joined A&T, later Anteon, and he worked on Towed Array Handling Systems for Virginia class submarines. Peter helped develop VLF communications equipment and worked on voice recognition system applications for U.S. Navy submarines.

Peter was always deeply involved in his community. On Long Island, he was chairman of the Board of Suffolk Community Development Corporation, administering federal programs for seniors. In Salem, Peter was elected to four terms as a Selectman, one of which was as First Selectman. During that term, Peter took charge of creating the Salem Transfer Station, which is in use to this day. For three years, Peter served as chairman representing Salem on the Route 11 Greenway Authority Commission. He spent more than 19 years trying to get Route 11 completed down to Interstate 95, running into roadblocks that were unmovable. Peter was a longtime member of the Salem Democratic Town Committee and chaired Salem's Master Plan Committee. He was a member of the Salem Lions Club where he served as vice chairman, and he helped build a Habitat for Humanity house in Salem.

After his time in elected office ended, Peter's interest in politics only increased. He earned an additional master's degree in 2006, and a Ph.D. in political science in 2010, from the University of Connecticut, at the age of 77. His research and dissertation were dedicated to getting more residents to participate in their local government, and he invented and implemented a way for residents to participate in legislative town meetings from the comfort of their homes, long before Zoom. Salem was a test case for his research and implemented the system he devised. He also served as the Salem representative on the Old Lyme Cable Council, ten years as chairman and three years as its representative on the statewide Video Advisory Council and later as vice chairman of the Video Council.

Peter was a self-proclaimed neolithic engineer. He moved and installed (with nothing but hand tools) a 5,000-pound stone sculpture, built numerous stone walls on their property, and invented and manufactured a variety of mobility-assistance devices for use in his home. Over the last several years, Peter devoted himself nearly completely to the role of sole caregiver for Ann, which he continued until very recently when he accepted help from Nicole Wardlaw and her colleagues from CareCo, for whom his family is eternally grateful.

A Celebration of Life will be held in the coming weeks. In lieu of flowers, donations in Peter's memory may be made to Salem Volunteer Fire Company or to Gardner Lake Volunteer Fire Company, who have always been there to help Peter and Ann in times of need. The Aurora McCarthy Funeral Home of Colchester has been entrusted with care of arrangements. For online condolences or to share a story of Peter, please visit www.auroramccarthyfuneralhome.com.