Adam D. Pettengill

complications of cardiac arrest. Born in Cincinnati, OH, Adam was the 7th of 8 children.

Parents Ken and Emmy (Corcoran) Pettengill cherished their roots in New England and Cape Cod, and the family migrated East every June. Adam and his siblings enjoyed long, idyllic summers in Brewster and Orleans, visiting cousins, gathering beach plums, digging quahogs, swimming in Sheep Pond, and sailing at the Orleans Yacht Club.

As a result of frequent family moves, Adam attended 4 high schools in 4 years, graduating from St. Ignatius College Preparatory School in Chicago, IL. He earned a BS in Geology from Bates College, after which he moved permanently to Cape Cod.

Over the years, Adam worked for a number of local businesses, including on his Uncle Frank Fettig’s tile crew. While he was still a teen, he spent time as an apprentice at the Orleans Arena Theater, where his mother was business manager: There he first met Suzanne A. MacKenzie, his future wife.

During Adam and Suzanne’s loving marriage of 34 years, they raised two children, Duncan and AJ. Finding deep satisfaction in fatherhood, and in volunteering at his children’s preschool, Adam was inspired to become a preschool teacher, and he subsequently earned a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from Wheelock College (now part of Boston University).

For 20-plus years at the Family School and Brewster Day Camp, Adam’s energy, practical outlook, and warm heart, along with his affection and respect for children, made him an exceptional and respected teacher, camp counselor, mentor, administrator, and friend. He touched the lives of countless families through his service at the school and as leader of a fathers’ parenting group through Cape Cod Children’s Place.

In his leisure time, Adam loved swimming, sailing, and rowing wooden boats, as well as tinkering with machines, especially in the company of his brothers, William and Lewis Pettengill. He and Suzanne shared many adventures as well as devotion to Looney Tunes cartoons, camping, museums, and craft breweries. They were active members of the First Parish Church in Brewster, appreciating its commitment to free inquiry and respect for all people.

Adam will be sorely missed. He is survived by his wife, Suzanne, and their children, AJ Pettengill (Mars) and Duncan Pettengill (Alicia Buskirk). his siblings, Jean Pettengill (John Fishman), Claire Pettengill (Dick Griffin), Lewis Pettengill (Galina Bobr), and William Pettengill (Judith Katherman), along with numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. Adam was preceded in death by his brothers Kenneth Jr., Dana (Nancy Paige Pettengill), and Nathan (Madeleine Bickert), and his parents, Kenneth Sr. and Emma (Corcoran) Pettengill.

Friends and loved ones are invited to honor Adam’s memory at a Celebration of Life on Saturday, June 28, 2025, 10:00am- 12:00pm at First Parish Church, Unitarian Rte. 6A, Brewster, MA.

Call for photos: Please email shareable photographs of Adam (and family, friends, co-workers to [email protected]

Questions? Send a note to [email protected]