Peter Ashurkoff ’53

Peter died June 16, 2021, in Ashburn, Va., where he and his wife had moved when he retired from General Motors after some 40 years in the auto industry. 

Peter was born in Mexico City, Mexico, and became a U.S. citizen while attending Phillips Exeter Academy. At Princeton he joined Campus Club and majored in mechanical engineering. After graduation Peter earned a master’s degree in mechanical engineering at MIT, then moved to Detroit to take a training position in the research laboratories of General Motors Corp. His career with General Motors was interrupted after a few months by two years of military service that took him to the Army Ordnance Depot in Okinawa. 

Returning to Detroit, Peter married Patricia Dow, and they settled in Grosse Pointe Farms. After an early assignment in Mexico City, Peter returned to the Detroit area and finished his career as a design engineer with Buick and Powertrain in Flint. He earned a number of patents for automotive innovations and was known for his attention to detail. 

Peter was predeceased by his wife, Patricia. He is survived by a son, a daughter, and three grandchildren.