Pete passed away peacefully at his home in Bayville, NJ on Friday, April 14th, 2023. Born on August 19th 1970, he was the youngest son of the late Albert (Big Al) and Mary Schwankert. Pete was a graduate of Toms River High School East and also attended American Motorcycle Institute in Florida. Pete was a career truck driver and long time driver with Clayton Concrete in Cookstown, NJ.
Pete had many hobbies spanning land, air, and sea, enabling him to make many friends. Raised near the Jersey Shore in Toms River with his older brothers Albert (AJ) and Charlie, Pete spent a lot of his time in or on the water. He also loved mud truck racing, building and flying model aircraft, and racing jet skis. Pete spent most of his life around firearms, and was a member of the Central Jersey Rifle and Pistol Club. He competed with rifles on a national level as a teenager, and was an excellent shot. But Pete's greatest passion was cars, most notably his beloved 1970 Ford SCJ Torino. Following in the footsteps of his father, Pete was well known locally by just about everyone in the car community.
Pete was a larger than life character, with an unmistakable booming voice. He was known for his quick witted sense of humor, and he always found ways to make people laugh. Pete also had a love for bringing people together with food. He was an amazing cook, and will long be remembered for his incredible lasagna. He was a great baker too, and his cheesecake was outstanding.
Above everything else, Pete was a great father to his son Gabriel (Gabe) Schwankert. Pete loved his son more than anything else in life, and he was always so proud of him. Pete will be greatly missed by his family and friends. He is survived by his son Gabriel; his brother AJ, his wife Tracy, and their children Karina and Tyler; and his brother Charlie and his wife Wanda. Pete will also be remembered by his family of friends, including Jon and Luanna Ilch, and Brian and Jodi Applegate.
Family and friends are invited to attend a visitation and celebration of life to be held on Thursday, April 20, 2023 from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Anderson & Campbell Funeral Home, 703 Main Street, Toms River, NJ 08753. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Lung Cancer Foundation of America at lcfamerica.org
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.9.5