Peter Roemer

Dr. Peter Roemer was born on December 8, 1938 in New York City to Joseph and Elsie Roemer. He graduated from Forest Hills High School, and did his undergraduate degree at Princeton. After starting a master’s program in mathematics at Harvard University, he switched to medical studies and earned his MD at New York University . He went on to further training to become a psychiatrist. He joined the Public Health Service in 1969 and went to work at the National Institutes of Health in Washington, DC. During his career, he worked as a psychiatrist in the Washington, DC prison system and at the Lorton penitentiary in Virginia, as well as maintaining a private practice. As one of his colleagues at Lorton wrote, “I worked with Dr. Roemer for years at Lorton Reformatory. His humanity showed with every inmate he dealt with.” He showed his care for his incarcerated clients by, among other things, bringing them magazines and garlic (to enhance the flavor of the prison food and their health).

Peter met his beloved first wife Sue Roemer while in Boston. He first saw her singing in a cafe, and they married in 1963. Their first child, Jessi, was born in 1967, followed by Becky in 1969, who sadly passed away in 1972. Their third child, Debi, was born in 1973. Peter was a hands-on father before that was commonplace, cooking for his kids, greeting them after school, playing with them and listening to their stories, their problems, their daily lives. Peter nursed Sue through a devastating illness for over 5 years, until her passing in 2010. In the ensuing years, he partnered with longtime friend and family dentist, Marsha Douma.

Peter loved music, yoga and tai chi, singing with community, kayaking and long walks with his family and friends, playing tennis and ping-pong, reading, and much more. A week before his death, he was still beating his son-in-law in chess. His welcoming smile and ability to listen warmed the hearts and nourished the spirits of all who knew him.

Donations in Peter’s memory can be made to JSSA (www.jssa.org) and Books Through Bars (www.booksthroughbars.org).