Peter Bielski

Pete established a strong legacy in his personal and professional lives. He leaves behind four children, 13 grandchildren and nine great grandchildren, including daughter Patricia Ann Patterson (husband William Patterson), son Peter Thomas Bielski (wife, Carol), daughter Gayle Elizabeth Steinke (husband, Robert Steinke), and daughter Jacqueline Bielski Walls (husband, Kenneth Walls).

Pete was preceded in death by his two wives, Edith Bielski (nee Kirkman), who passed away in 1993 and Susan Bielski (formally Brand), who died in 2024. Edie was the mother of Pete’s children and helped Pete form a strong family unit that thrived in Bowie, Md., during the 70s and 80s. They met at Oneonta, were married, and taught at the same school in East Islip, NY. Pete’s remains will be buried at Sacred Heart Church where he will be reunited with Edie.

Pete was from Center Moriches, N.Y. and attended Oneonta (NY) State Teachers College where he graduated in 1956. He soon taught at Timber Point Elementary School in East Islip, NY, and became a principal before the age of 30. Soon after he was offered a professorship at the University of Maryland and accepted. He coordinated a nationally acclaimed Teacher-Educator Center, uniting University of Maryland teaching students with classrooms in Prince George’s County Schools, many of them in Bowie, Md. He later became principal at several PGCPS schools before later establishing another Teacher-Education Center at Lida Lee Tall School in Towson, providing similar service to Towson State students in the Baltimore County Schools. Pete also received his doctorate from the University of Maryland in 1974, his dissertation focused on making teachers better teachers.

Pete was also an accomplished athlete. He was a two-sport athlete at Oneonta, starting for the Red Dragons basketball and baseball teams. He was a catcher and No. 2 hitter for the baseball team and boasted a .310 lifetime batting average at the school.

Pete became a pillar of the community in Bowie, Md. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus, helped establish the Bowie Open Softball League and later in life made his mark in the Maryland Senior Olympics and National Senior Games Association. He coached basketball and baseball for the Bowie Boys Club. He was also a member of Maryland’s Terrapin Club and was a long-time season ticket holder for Terrapins football and basketball games. He also opened his home to several international students who came to the US to study abroad, and to many Midshipmen of the U.S. Naval Academy, who called his Annapolis home a place for rest and relaxation.

Pete had varied interests. He was an avid reader and assembled a large personal library including books on military legends and many wars, his beloved New York Yankees, world religions and other topics of worthy research. He established a Book Club that met for more than 30 years. He enjoyed playing card games, including Bridge and poker.

Even more, Pete was a family man who dedicated many hours to the benefit of others at church, community centers and other places where people gathered.

Pete donated his body to the science department at the University of Maryland, and his burial at Sacred Heart Cemetery will be at a later date. There will be a prayer service and celebration of life at Robert E. Evans Funeral Home in Bowie on Saturday, June 20 at 3 pm.