Peter L. Schillereff

Leaves many friends in Wolfeboro

WOLFEBORO — Peter Laing Schillereff, age 64, passed away on Saturday, May 30, in South Kingstown, R.I., after a long illness, while visiting his wife Kim's family home.
This home is near the ocean, where he often came, towing his boat, family or friends, to go fishing, a favorite weekend pastime. His dogs Yankee, Sparky and Scruffy (the terror) traveled with them too.
A few years ago Peter built a wonderful movie theater for the family next to the house.
Peter and Kim Sias met in Wolfeboro and were married on Sept. 11, 1993. They live in Raymond, N.H.
Peter was born in Greenwich, Conn. on Oct. 24, 1950, the third son of Thurman John Schillereff and Ruth Porter Schillereff.
Because of his father's constant moves while working for National Homes Corp., he moved with his family at least 10 times before settling in Wolfeboro. His years in Atlanta were the best years of his young life. He learned to play the guitar and had a band called The Shaggs. His band played at dances, parties and openings. Because of all those moves, he became very fond of Wolfeboro. His grandparents had a camp on Lake Wentworth, where he spend each summer, leaving when school began. Until Atlanta, it was often a new school each year. After high school he moved to Wolfeboro, but he always flew back to his high school reunions. Tim Whiting, a second cousin, said "Peter arrived in Wolfeboro with a zest for life."
One of Peter's summer jobs was working with his brother Tom at Everett Albee's restaurant in the kitchen.
When he moved to Wolfeboro he worked many places. He and Steve Johnson work at Charlie French's service station called Lakeview Oil (now The Three Sisters). Pete also worked at Pete Stannard's Mobil Station (once in the Lydia's Cafe section) and at the Texaco Station next to the IGA. During long cold winters he and his friends went ice racing on a pond in Tuftonboro and once he crossed Lake Winnipesaukee in his beat up green Saab.
From an early age Peter could fix anything fixable. He didn't need to look at the directions. At one time he worked for Oscar Kelloway, who had a shop called Kelloway's T.V. on Main Street. Peter soon opened his own shop on the side of the Durgin Block building (since removed) called Schillereff's Electronics and then opened a shop also called Schillereff's Electronics where Full Belli Deli is now located. He sold and repaired televisions.
He had one complaint about that shop. There had been a doughnut bakery above him. Sugar and flour seeped through cracks in his ceiling, falling on his televisions and work area.
In the late 1970s Jon Whiting, Chris Meissner, Peter, Keith Hoover and Leslie Hale formed a band called Rocksalt and Nails. Those five were the original band members. They played at the Cider Press Restaurant on weekends and for parties and fundraisers. Jon Whiting played acoustic guitar, Chris Meissner on lead guitar, Keither Hoover on drums. Leslie Hale was lead singer and Peter played bass guitar. They played folk rock, songs such as Brown-Eyed Girl, Blue Bayou, Desperado, and often closed with Margaritaville. The Cider Press Restaurant was owned by the Durkee family. Peter also worked at the restaurant at the same time.
Peter studied to become a Master Electrician after moving to Wolfeboro. In Raymond, he owned two trucks with the words Pete's Electric on the sides. To service customers those trucks traveled all over Manchester and to other towns around Wolfeboro. He took a boat to service customers on Cow Island. He was the kind of person who would come to your house on Christmas Eve to fix your television.
Peter and Kim have a son named Michael who just graduated from Bridgton Academy in Maine, and who will be attending UNH in the fall to study computers and engineering. He is a skilled soccer player who has played for four years on the Raymond Varsity Team, the N.H. ODP state team and various Seacoast United teams.
Peter leaves his wife Kim, their son Michael, his mother Ruth, his brother Tom with his wife Nancy and their daughter Corey, his sister Mary, his brother David and his wife Terrie and their children, Robbie, Nicki, Amanda and Daniel. He leaves his sister Ruthie with her husband Andy and son Andrew. He also leaves his brother John's first wife Sharon McMillan and their two children, Jaqueline and Johnny. He leaves his brother John's wife Dianna McCaffery.
Peter's father (know locally as T. John) and his brother John (Major John L. Schillereff) preceded him in death. T. John died in 1994 and brother John died in March 2010.
There will be no services. Anyone wishing to send condolences can contact Kim at 111 Chester Road, Raymond, NH 03077 or send contributions in memory of Peter to the charity of one's choice.
A gathering of friends to celebrate Peter's life, to be held later this summer, is currently in the planning stages by Mike Witkowski.