Peter S. Blanchard

Peter Sherrill Blanchard, 84, died peacefully on October 11, 2024 at Riverwoods Durham in Durham, NH after a long period of illness. Peter was born in Beverley, MA on April 21, 1940 to Roger Wilson Blanchard and Patricia Goodwillie Blanchard. Arriving in the world several weeks early, he weighed in at just 3 pounds, but he didn’t let that stop him! He grew up to be a strong and capable man, attending Hobart College and serving in the United States Air Force. After serving his country, he attended Xavier University in Cincinnati, OH, where he acquired both a Bachelors and Master’s degree in Education. Later, he earned a Masters in Math Leadership from Bank Street College in New York City. Over the course of a long career in elementary education, he taught at three different independent schools in Cincinnati, Brookline, MA and Greenwich, CT. He ended his career teaching other teachers as an adjunct professor at the University of New England in Biddeford, Maine.

 As a young boy, Peter was a camper at Camp O-AT-KA, a boys’ camp on Sebago Lake, Maine. The camp always held a very special place in Peter’s heart. From his time as a camper through more than a decade as a member of the corporation later in life, he continued to support O-AT-KA, offering both time and treasure to this wonderful camp that, with its emphasis on duty, service to others, and inclusion, helped form him.

 In 1973, he married his wife of 51 years, Sudie (Mixter) Blanchard. Together, they raised two wonderful children and made some beautiful music together, singing in church choirs and community choruses wherever they lived. Family, faith and friendship are three of the values that guided Peter—he was a good friend to a host of people and served well in several churches over many years. Friends remember him as a kind and gentle man who cared deeply for others. He rarely complained during his final illnesses, and will be remembered by his friends at Riverwoods Durham as “the Energizer Bunny” or a Timex watch—because he truly “took a licking and kept on ticking,” taking on each new health challenge with both grace and courage.

In addition to his wife, Sudie, Peter is survived by his son Roger Blanchard, daughter-in-law Michelle, and his daughter Elizabeth (Libby) Blanchard. His beloved grandsons, Ethan and Dylan, round out his immediate family. He is also survived by his two siblings and their spouses: brother David Blanchard, his wife Laura, sister Joan (Blanchard) Gay and her husband Bill, along with several nieces and nephews and their children. He was also a treasured member of Sudie’s side of the family—in 2007, he was the chief organizer of a Mixter family reunion that gathered over 90 people for a festive weekend on Squam Lake in New Hampshire.

Peter’s family is particularly grateful for the care he received during the last three years of his life at Newfound Lodge at Riverwoods Durham. The nursing staff there were, without exception, loving and attentive. Brookhaven Hospice provided compassionate care and smoothed the way at the end of his life.

On November 23, 2024 at 1 pm, Peter’s life will be remembered and celebrated at St. George’s Episcopal Church in York, ME. In lieu of flowers, financial contributions in memory of Peter can be made to Camp O-AT-KA, P.O. Box 239, Sebago, ME 04029, or St. George’s Episcopal Church, P.O. Box 364, York Harbor, ME 03824.