Peter was born October 14, 1923 in Cleveland Ohio. His parents were Nicholas Stamatis and Viola Hajenna Stamatis, both Greek immigrants. His mother passed away two months after his birth on December 27th 1923. He spent twelve of his childhood years in the hospital while also receiving his education. He eventually went to work at his father’s shoe repair and dry cleaning shop, starting as a shoe shine boy. In his late teens he ran away to Chicago and lived with Greek cousins.
He went back to Ohio and worked with his father again and, following his passion, went to radio repair school where he met and befriended Jerry Radicelli, brother of Josephine. Two years later he married Josephine on June 21st 1947.
Peter moved to Azusa in January of 1959 and the family followed in July of the same year. He worked pressing cloths in Pomona, but went back to school to learn electronics. He eventually went to work at Leach Corporation and worked on many electronic projects, one being for NASA during the moon shots.
He had one of his kidneys removed in 1973 and went to work at Perkin Elmer Electronic Corporation as a receiving inspector once he healed. He worked there for twenty years retiring in 1993 at 69 years of age.
In retirement he stayed busy with hobbies like electronics, repairing and restoring antique radios, and fishing. He also went to night school receiving a ham radio operator’s license.
He is survived by his wife of nearly 72 years, Josephine Radicella Stamatis, three children, daughter Viola Swanstrom (Doug), and sons Nicholas (Lisa) and Peter Jr. (Cindy), four grandchildren Jeff (Dawn), Nicole (Jeremiah), Melissa, and Seth, and five great grandchildren, Johnathan, Avalon, Jackson, Cainan, and Jace.
