Peter A. Pfaffenroth ’63

Peter, whose determination and courage led him to overcome any obstacle in his path, died peacefully Oct. 24, 2020, in Potomac, Md. For 45 years he lived in Chester, N.J., where he and Sara *84 raised their family.

Born with cerebral palsy, he aimed his lifelong love of learning at targets of achievement: three advanced law degrees from New York University (corporate, tax, and international), a pilot’s license, marksmanship with a rifle, hosting 24 international exchange students, driving his bulldozer, holding multiple licenses in construction, building a four-seat airplane, maintaining varied expertise in 10 languages and traveling to more than 75 countries. And yet, he said, “I laugh at myself every day for something stupid I did.”

First in his class at Ridgewood (N.J.) High School, at Princeton Peter majored in basic engineering with a certificate in European civilization and was president of the Concordia Society, VP of AIESEC, freshman football manager, rifle-team competitor for three years, and a member of Ivy Club. Next came Michigan Law and decades of private practice. He loved early American furniture, fine wine and food, theology, and his Swedish and Volga German heritage.

Sara died in 2009. Peter is survived by their three children, Elizabeth, Catherine, and Peter ’97; six grandchildren; and a sister, Judith.