Pete B. N. Colby

Pete Colby, age 81, died Thursday, October 21, at his home in Bow NH, following a long period of declining health. He was born at home in Colebrook NH on April 14, 1940, to the late Carroll and Alma (Owen) Colby. Pete was the Valedictorian of Colebrook Academy class of 1958 and received his Bachelors Degree in Mechanical Engineering from UNH in 1963.

He married his high school sweetheart, Janet “Snookie” Beecher on June 17, 1961 and following his graduation from UNH joined General Electric Company, receiving training in their Switchgear Sales Division in Schenectady NY. This led to 15 years of travel from Seattle WA, to Cincinnati OH, to San Francisco CA, to Cherry Hill NJ, to Burlington IA, to Simsbury CT. He and Janet then returned to NH in 1978, built a home and settled in Bow for the next 43 years. Pete was one of the nicest, kindest guys anyone could have the privilege of knowing. He loved golf, having been a scratch golfer as a teenager and winning the Colebrook Country Club Championship in his sophomore year of high school. His home away from home was the Concord Country Club and had been a member since the mid-1980's. He had many close golfing buddies who shared the same love of the game.

Upon returning to NH Pete pursued several career opportunities, including completing one of the first condominium conversions in Hudson. He then worked for Aerotronics, Sprague Electric Company, and finally became a Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch, retiring in 2015.

Pete was a 30-year member of Bow Rotary and a 35-year member of Free and Accepted Masons of NH. He enjoyed coaching baseball, basketball and participating in Boy Scouts of America when his boys were young.

In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his son John William Colby in 2010, his halfbrothers Warren ( Hazel) Drew and John (Natalie) Drew, and halfsister Jane Drew (Harold) Stevens.

Pete is survived by his wife Snookie, his son Gregory Colby and wife Eleana; grandchildren Ryan, Lauryn and Derek; stepgrandsons Carter and Madden Walsh; sister Carol Sue Anderson and husband Jim; sisters-in-law Sylvia Collins and Gini Beecher, and many nieces and nephews; plus 5 granddogs and 3 grandcats.

Please join Pete's family for an informal gathering at the Concord Country Club on Saturday, November 6, anytime between 2p.m. and 4 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Pete's memory may be made to The McDonough Scholarship Foundation, 61 North Street, Manchester, NH 03104.