Peter John Lefeber

Peter John Lefeber, of Branford, CT, died at daybreak, October 10, 2026, after a short illness. During his final days, he reveled in the company of many childhood friends and family members who had always meant the world to him. Peter was 71 years old.

Peter was born in Winchester, CT, on July 13, 1955, to Peter Edward and Lois Meyer Lefeber. He attended and excelled at St. Mary’s School in New Hartford, Northwest Catholic High School, St. Michael’s College, and the University of Connecticut School of Law, where he was co-editor of the Law Review. In September of 1980, he joined the firm of Wiggin and Dana in New Haven, CT. Not long after, he was introduced to Catherine Stock by a senior partner who had, years before, also introduced her parents. Peter and Catherine were married in 1983 in Minneapolis, MN, and Peter was named partner at the firm in 1988.

In his professional career, Peter practiced Labor and Employment law, representing groups as varied as hospitals and home health care agencies, beverage distributors, stevedoring operators, colleges, universities, and private secondary schools, as well as several manufacturing companies, retail operations, and trade organizations. Peter also served on the firm’s governing committees, including the executive and compensation committees. In the final decade of his over 40 years of practice, Peter was especially invested in mentoring promising new lawyers in his department, just as he had been mentored by some of the most legendary partners in the firm’s history.

Peter served on several boards of directors in the greater New Haven area, including the New Haven Lawn Club, the Long Wharf Theater, the Children’s Center, and the New Haven Symphony. He was also a member of the Pine Orchard Yacht and Country Club and the Mory’s Association.

Peter’s talents ranged far beyond the practice of law and service to the community. Among his definitional qualities were wide-ranging abilities and endless curiosity. Often self-taught or self-coached, Peter played the piano, spoke passable French, was an expert fly- and ice-fisherman, won the New Haven Lawn Club squash championship, held a single-digit handicap in golf, played varsity tennis in college, and even competed in the pole vault. He took deep dives into topics that captured his imagination, like the complex origins of World War One, the history of classical music, the formation of hurricanes, and the challenges of mountaineering. He was also a talented woodworker and home repairman, good enough in fact to inspire a licensed carpenter to want to “come back to life as a guy who hired Peter to be his carpenter.”

Most importantly, Peter was a devoted, multi-faceted, and fun-loving father to his three children: Nick, Sarah, and John. He loved passing down his interests to them, be it by putting on the family room rug, doing math problems at the kitchen table, or fly-casting in the front yard. He coached and later closely followed his sons’ baseball careers through their final college games and helped them both make the transition to the working world. Coming from a family of four boys, Peter was especially delighted to raise a daughter, one who took up dance like his mother had but also “gave as good as she got” when family conflicts arose. For all of them, Peter’s most substantial gift was teaching them to do “hard things” while maintaining a sense of personal honor and responsibility to others.

Peter was predeceased by his mother and father, Peter and Lois Lefeber. He is survived by his wife of forty-three years, Catherine McNicol Stock Lefeber; his three brothers, David (Kathy), Glen (Yolanda), and John (Charlayne); his three children, Peter McNicol “Nick” (Katie), Sarah Hempleman (Carter), and John (Adrienne); and seven grandchildren: Peter, Emily, and Charlotte Lefeber; Addy, Izzy, and Zeke Hempleman; and Casey Lefeber. His twinkling blue eyes and many other charms live on in each of them.

There will be a Celebration of Life followed by a reception on November 6, 2026, at 11:30 a.m., at the New Haven Lawn Club. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Connecticut Hospice, 100 Double Beach Road, Branford, CT 06405. The family would especially like to thank the medical staff at Connecticut Hospice, including Nicole Barbarotta, Tara Gonzalez, Debbie Sims, and Amanda Krenke, for their expert care for Peter and his loved ones.