SMITHFIELD – On June 30, Colonel Charles “Peter” Lawrence Wuerpel, 86, passed away peacefully at home in Smithfield, Maine with his children by his side. That morning, the rain clouds lifted and the warmth of the summer sun ushered him to heaven.

Peter, the only boy of four children, was born on April 19, 1937, in Cornwall on the Hudson, New York. His father was a civil engineer for the United States government which afforded the family opportunities to travel. Peter and his sisters would spend their childhood exploring the Americas until settling in Park Ridge, Ill., where Peter attended Loyola Academy. After several failed attempts at co-ed universities, a deviation from the all-boys schools that he attended previously, Peter’s father called in a favor that earned him placement at the United States Military Academy West Point.

Shortly after graduation, Peter accepted a summer job as a camp counselor in Bridgton, Maine where he met his cherished wife, Joyce. The two were married in a small catholic church near Joyce’s home in Dewitt, N.Y. during lent on March 16, 1963, with special exception from the church since Peter was approaching his first of several military deployments. The couple got right to work and had five children, Charles, Peter “Kevin,” Victoria “Tasha,” and Leigh, each two years apart, and were surprised with Michelle ten years later. Peter and Joyce led a life not dissimilar to his own upbringing and, because of his military career, the family traveled the world.

Peter retired after an illustrious career with the U.S. Army as a Colonel while stationed at Fort Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, though his work continued as the Director of Emergency Services for the State of Alaska and as a contracted Program Manager to FEMA. Amidst the career changes, Peter and Joyce moved to Fairfield, Maine, a bit of a homecoming from where they had met nearly forty years earlier. Their home on the Kennebec River provided endless enjoyment for Joyce to garden and float in the pool and for Peter to host BBQs and teach his grandchildren to fish. In 2010, Peter lost Joyce after a battle with COPD, and some would argue that he never recovered from the heartache of her absence.

One of Peter’s only retirement goals was the ownership of his dream car and in 2016, he purchased a British racing-green Jaguar F-type. He travelled the United States visiting children, grandchildren, and close friends in the Jag. After Peter’s relentless search for a sense of home, driving and moving every two to three years, he returned once more to Maine to enjoy his final days on the water with family close by.

Those of you that knew Peter would remember that he was always the smartest one in the room, and he was fascinated with learning more about the people that he met. He was in admiration of people at the top of their discipline. As a result, he was the world’s biggest fair-weather fan, except for college basketball. Then, he was Duke’s biggest and most loyal fan. He was an athlete, himself, and competed collegiately in wrestling, ran mega-marathons, raced in triathlons, played on baseball teams, biked across the state of Maine and down mountains in Idaho, and famously won several global challenges on his stationary bike. We’ll miss him for his tenaciousness and drive; the only two problems he couldn’t solve were Joyce’s and his own illnesses. We’ll miss him for his support, encouragement, and belief in us that we could do anything we set our minds to. We’ll miss him for his gentleness (despite his gruff demeanor) and for his generosity. We’ll miss fishing with him, celebrating with him, learning novel words from him, watching football with him, and hearing his voice when we had a bad day.

Family who went before:

Peter was predeceased by his father, Charles Wuerpel, his mother, Louise Wuerpel; sisters Eleanor Bergeron and Martha Nochera; his grandson, Matthew; and his beloved wife, Joyce Wuerpel.

Family he left behind:

Peter is survived by his sister, Michelle Linhart; and his children. Charles Wuerpel, Kevin Wuerpel, Tasha Dudley, Leigh Beck, and Michelle Rigdon.

He is also survived by his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, whom he adored; his nieces, nephews; and close friends.

A celebration of life service will take place on the Chesapeake Bay, a place of Peter’s and Joyce’s fond memories, on the 6th of July 2024.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to:

The Children’s Place Child Advocacy Center

1021 N Lucille St.

Wasilla, AK 99654

in Peter’s name

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