Dear Peter!
You always have been ahead of the times and for that reason you were the first of us to go to the game "Upstairs in Heaven"

We miss you and cherish the wonderful times we enjoyed your company.

Alexandra, Thorsten, Niel Daniel, Beatriz, Fernando, Patricia, David Daniel and Christian.

I just learned of Peter's passing 10 minutes ago and I'm heartbroken.  If I'm this sad, I can only imagine what is like for his family and close friends.

More than 15 years ago, I was a young project manager leading a team of technical leaders all older than me, but Peter always made me feel like I was contributing to the team and valued.  He was often the smartest person in the room but always the last to speak up.  I guess that makes him the smartest again because he was smart enough to let other people contribute.

I had a habit of giving people nicknames and I called Peter "Petie".  He was so good natured about my teasing - he was good natured about everything to be honest.  Years later, he would always stop when we bumped into each other, happy to take the time to chat about children and life.

He was easy to talk to because he really listened.  Quiet but every word spoken had the value of 1000 of words spoken by others.

I always felt like we needed more Petie's in this world and now we're without anyone else quite like him. 

He is missed by so many of us.  His life has impacted us all in ways as quiet as his voice and as huge as his insight.

To Peter's Family,

I am so sorry to hear about your loss. Peter was a really good friend and I have so many fond memories of our times hanging out together. We went to a Yankee game once, and on some many photography trips. It was always such a pleasure to hang out with such a brilliant and caring man. My thoughts and prayers are with all of you.

I am so sorry for your loss. Peter was a very special, warm, and kind person. I worked with him for many years and he was so generous with his time and talents. He will be sorely missed by all.


My condolences to Peter's Family, 
As has already been mentioned by others, I too had the privilege of not only working with Peter, but also traveling with him to our client council meetings. Peter always took the time to explore the new cities we visited; he would spend a few more extra days to check out the sights and to explore the surrounding areas. I believe you get to know a different side of a person when you travel with them and I'm glad I saw this with Peter. 
In fact, I remember on one of our last trips, Peter and I were dropping off a colleague (Ingo) at JFK Airport, when I got caught by a red-light camera. A few weeks later when the ticket came in the mail, I joked with Peter, saying it really didn't matter because the conversation and the topics we discussed and designed in that car ride were well worth it.    
At work, I can't tell you how many times I would Instant Message him and asked if he was free to discuss a matter. Peter always made the time for me and he would do the same for anyone that would ask. He was well respected throughout our organization for someone whose opinion mattered. Peter was recognized for both being smart and wise; his picture hangs on the wall of Master Inventors in front of our cafeteria at IBM Poughkeepsie. Every time I will pass by that picture, I will cherish our memories.  
Rest in peace, Peter.    

Thanks for all the condolences and memories of Peter.   He was a great a big brother.    Our family will miss him.   Rest in Peace, Peter.

Peter had the brightest mind. He could offer technical guidance on any challenge, being calm, kind and humble while doing so.  I always had tremendous respect for Peter and consider myself extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with him.

A Sanskrit phrase comes to mind  "Na bhooto na bhavishyate" ..."No one quite like him in the past or in the future". He was truly unique.

Deepest and heartfelt condolences for Peter's family. He will always be known for his great work and intellectual leadership. I will always remember and miss Peter.


My condolences to Peter’s parents, Berit, Thor, and your families. 

Peter was a longtime colleague and friend, and the rare combination of heart and intellect.  When I first met Peter 30 years ago as a new hire at IBM, I noted that he had one of those big 1980’s calculator watch – the first smartwatches that I was sure could do calculus and plot workload management algorithms. He always took the time to answer my many questions, and I always felt like he valued them and me. 

Peter lived close to me, so we shared rides and traveled together on many IBM trips, Barcelona, Seville, Lisbon, Dublin.  Peter was a great travel companion, not only did he know when planes were delayed, he knew the apps that showed where airplanes were coming from by gate, why they were delayed, and how the Global Entry System worked. He always knew how to get a data plan in a foreign country, and when our group was lost with a paper map, had us find the restaurant, Sangria bar, or landmark because his GPS Maps was working. You could discuss Blockchain and its impact on the world’s food supply chain, and he would know the possibilities as well as what it would take to get it to work in the world. 

Peter took beautiful photos, and he always listened and followed what you were saying, so closely that he’d sometimes talk along with you.  I will miss him terribly; he was gone too soon. The world needs more Peters,  and I’m only consoled by the fact that what he did accomplish in his time on earth will be at work for decades to come. 


To Peters Family,  I don't need to tell you how smart he was, or how humble he was.  I worked with Peter off and on throughout the last 30+ years.  I had the privilege of traveling with him several times as well.  Peter while quiet was one of the people who would sway the decisions of many people... including me when decisions were being made.  If Peter said something didn't seem right we would all listen because he rarely allowed us to make a bad choice.  He was a great  person and I am glad to have been able to know him.

I had the privilege of working with Peter for the last 15 years, most of that time as his manager.  Peter had a brilliant mind, and a good heart, and was well-respected by everyone he worked with.  As a leader, he may not have had the loudest voice in the room, but when he spoke, everyone listened.  I had the opportunity to build some new teams with Peter.  He taught me to pull a group of smart people together, and learning new technology would easily follow.  I knew, with Peter at the helm, that would be the case.  Most impressive to me was the time Peter gave to others on the team.  His door was always open for questions or an impromptu technical discussion.  He was a true servant leader.  

To Peter’s family, I am truly sorry for your loss.  I am grateful to have known Peter, and wish him peace.

Peter will be greatly missed but his warmth, kindness and gentle spirit will be remember forever.
 "In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years"   
- Abraham Lincoln 

We will miss you Peter! 
You were an excellent friend, brother, brother in law, god-parent, uncle, son, co-worker and above all an extraordinary person.

We will keep you in our memories and in our hearts.

We will continue enjoying the beautiful pictures of your travels and landscapes that you shared with us.

We are sad for our loss and we are grateful to all your friends, co-workers, neighbors, classmates that visited you and or sent you prayers for well being during your long stay in the hospital.

Your family in Northern Virginia, in Florida, in New Jersey, in New York, in Norway, in Vancouver, in Ecuador, in Uruguay wishes you a healthy and loving rest in peace in Heaven.

Thank you.

Thorsten C. Yocom, Alexandra Benalcazar-Yocom, Niel Daniel Yocom, Beatriz Izurieta, Fernando Benalcazar, Patricia Benalcazar, David D. Benalcazar, Christian Benalcazar, Dr. Perry Niel Yocom and Kirsten Yocom, Steve and Berit Finelli  and family, Dick and Alma Williams and family, Pippi Dovle Larssen and family, Andreas Heian and family, Eve Berger and family, Berger Bergerson and family, Vinan family, Buitron family, Franklin Buitron and family.

I have worked with and known Peter for many years.

He was extremely smart, yet a the same time very modest.  I don't recall him ever loosing his patience and he was always professional. He was one of those people that was enjoyable to work with.

My sincere condolences to Peter's family.  You should know he had many friends that will miss him.

Some of the most enjoyable years of my IBM career were spent in the same department as Peter.   He was our mentor and leader, so incredibly smart but even more importantly, kind and helpful.  Whenever I had a particularly difficult problem, Peter was the one I sought out.  He was generous with his time and knowledge, never arrogant.  It is with great sadness I learned of his passing.  The world still needed him, and it is a lesser place without him.   I will hold close the memories I have of Peter.   I extend my deepest sympathy to his family.   Rest in peace, Peter.  We miss you. 


To the family of Peter,
    I was fortunate to not only work with Peter, but be his office neighbor.   Of course Peter was very smart, but what I will miss about him most is his kindness.  He was consistently kind and he had a way of calming everybody around him.  I still hear his laugh.  He would laugh at my bad jokes and never get annoyed at me for interrupting him on my way out to nudge him to go home.  I was guaranteed to get a smile and a laugh every time.  He would leave work on time for tennis, though, and I am sure his tennis friends also dearly miss him.   I admired him as a technical leader, but I especially admired him as a person.  I am so sorry for your loss.

Pete started at IBM in July of 1986. I started a month earlier. We were officemates. I was brash. Pete was humble. Over the course of 8 years that we worked together, he was the first person I would ask when I had a seemingly intractable challenge. Often, while explaining the problem to Pete, I'd figure the solution out myself - because I would put myself in his shoes.

I think it was Akers, the IBM CEO, who challenged us ask at the end of each day whether we made a net positive or net negative impact on the company. Pete and I kept a calendar on our white board. At the end of each day, we'd take a pulse of whether we were, together, making a positive impact. We were at pluses every day until it just became a silly exercise.

I used to have a pecking order of people I would use to find answers to questions. I would first ask Peter. If he didn’t have the answer, I was confident enough that it was not a dumb question and so I would ask Danny. If Danny couldn’t answer, I’d go to Gene. Peter was my gatekeeper for not appearing dumb. (As my old IBM colleagues would attest, it didn’t always work).

Pete was smart, kind, and humble. He made me a better programmer and a better person.

So very sorry for this loss of Peter, he has been such a good friend for a long time.  Truly a great guy, I'll miss him immensely. Deepest condolences, may he be at peace.

I've known Peter for 20 years and spent work and personal time with him.  He was a terrific person and I will miss him.  We spent a lot of time at our client councils traveling and I got to know him outside of work and I'll cherish those moments.  Life is too short and more so for Peter.  God Bless.  

OBITUARY

Peter B. Yocom

February 3, 1963 – April 16, 2020

Becker Funeral Home

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