Peter Allen Maher

Peter was born on November 11, 1932 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the third child of James Earl Maher and Anna Margrate (Tovick) Maher. The family moved to Vanport, Oregon in October of 1943 when his father took a job at Kaiser Shipyards. The family moved to Portland after Vanport was flooded in 1948.

Peter graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1951. He drove trucks for local produce businesses and joined the Oregon National Guard from 1950 through 1957, rising to Regimental Motor Sergeant.

After being honorably discharged, he attended Walla Walla College where he was Student Body President and graduated with a degree in Theology and History in 1961. It was there he met Donna Jeanne Stuart and they were married Dec, 21, 1961 in Portland, Oregon.

They moved to Daytona Beach, FL, where Pete sold and delivered books throughout the southeastern US. The family moved again to Lodi, CA where he was hired as Dean of Men and also taught classes at Lodi Seventh-day Adventist Academy. He also went through the Student Personnel Services course at Andrews University, in Berrien Springs, Michigan, graduating in 1965. He was appointed to a position with the Job Corps, at Tongue Point, in Astoria, Oregon where he supervised a group of women trainees.

The family moved to Gearhart, Oregon in 1967 and Pete took a position as an Executive Associate for Educational Systems Corp, in Washington, DC. In March of 1969 and continuing through 1973 he was accepted into the Counseling Psychology PhD program at U of O, in Eugene. While there, he also served as the Associate Director for U of O Health Sciences Center.

Over several summers, he worked for a time as a commercial fisherman.

In 1975, he started working for Portland Adventist Medical Center as a Psychotherapist doing group and individual therapy, consulting, and psychological testing.

Pete joined Jet Delivery in 1982 and worked there until he retired in 2016. He started as a driver between Portland and Eugene, then as the Eugene Site Manager, then Director of Operations, and eventually Director or Support Services.

Pete enjoyed collecting nautical antiques and had two shops over the years, one called the Hawse Pipe in Sellwood, and another in Eugene called the Sea Chest. He always had a book in his hand & was knowledgeable on most everything.

He enjoyed spending time with his family and five grandchildren. They spent time on trips to the beach, out to eat, watching football and golf and was always on the look-out for a good quirky movie or quote to share. He enjoyed living on Hayden Island and had a good walking path along the Columbia River, which he walked along every day. He also enjoyed his neighborhood friends who kept an eye on him.

Peter is survived by his children, Jeff Maher, Traci (Ed) Prewitt, and Shannon Maher, his grandchildren, Blair, Mitch & Haley Prewitt, Becca & Lauryn Maher, his brothers Tom (Carol) Maher and Jack (Shirley) Maher and many nieces, nephews, other family and friends.

Peter was preceded in death by his wife Donna Jeanne (Stuart) Maher, brother, James Maher, sister Annette (Maher) Sonkowski, and parents James Earl and Anna Margrate (Tovick) Maher.