GUILFORD – Peter J. Pikul, 75, of Guilford, passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday, April 4, 2012.
Pete and his family came to Guilford in 1973 after buying the farm on Winsor Corners. Pete was born in Florida, N.Y., in February of 1937, the son of Frank and Honorata Sadka Pikul. He was a good man who asked little out of life and had simple wants - rye bread, beet horseradish, and the newspapers that Joyce Knapp, who loved him dearly, brought to him every day so he could see what was going on. He was an excellent father and foster father, he and his wife Elaine having chosen to be foster parents to children in both Orange and Chenango Counties. Following the onset of his heart condition in 1962, his son, Matthew, purchased the farm and has kept it running. Pete enjoyed keeping up with what was going on at the farm, riding on his ‘gator along with Eddie, the farm dog. He spent many days on the farm despite the fact that he had a difficult time walking. The day he passed away, he rode down the hill on the ‘gator one last time to go to the farm and have lunch with his son. Pete was very proud of his grandchildren, who called him “Poppy” and loved him dearly. He will be missed by his loved ones, as well as Eddie the farm dog and his newest buddy, Newman, the puppy who was adopted at home. Although Pete has left us here on earth with our heavy hearts, it gives us peace to know that he will be in heaven with his loved ones who have gone on before him.
Pete is survived by his wife of 51 years, Elaine O’Brien Pikul; and his children and their spouses: Lisa and Jeffery Palmatier, Penny and Kenneth Knowles, Matthew Pikul and his significant other, Mary Green, Wendy and Timothy Murray, and Brian and Tracy Pikul, all of Guilford. He also leaves 10 grandchildren: Lyndsay and Branden Palmatier, Erica, Sarah, and Emily Knowles, Lucas, Joseph, and Montana Pikul, Mallory Pikul, and Fiona Murray. Also surviving are his brothers: John Pikul, Frank Pikul and wife Gloria, and Martin Pikul; his sisters and their husbands: Catherine and Larry Mead, Claire and Herb Simmons, Lucy and Richard Toper, and Teresa Elecko; many nieces and nephews; his sister-in-law, Wanda Pikul; and many special friends. Pete was predeceased by his parents; his sister, Anna, and his brother, Stephen L. Pikul.
Funeral services for Pete will be held at 1 p.m. Monday from the R.J. Fahy Funeral Home. The Rev. Joseph Acanfora, pastor of Christ Church of Gilbertsville, will officiate, and the Rev. Lester Smith, pastor of St. Malachy’s Roman Catholic Church, will lead the family in prayer. Interment will be at the convenience of Pete’s family. Friends are invited to call at the R.J. Fahy Funeral Home on Monday from 11 a.m. until the service at 1 p.m.
Please consider memorial contributions to the Guilford Fire Dept. or Guilford Emergency Squad, Guilford, NY 13780.