Born on February 14, 1939 in Brooklyn to Mary (McCloy) and August Hansen, the family moved to Croton in 1945, and Peter remained a resident of the family home until his passing. Peter attended Croton schools, graduating from Croton-Harmon High School in 1957, and as the son of a railroad engineer, he too set his sights on the railroad.
Peter graduated with an Associates in Engineering Science from Westchester Community College in 1965, and with a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering from New York University in 1968. During this time, he proudly served in the United States Army, getting honorably discharged in 1963.
Peter began his career on the railroad right out of high school as a fireman, loading coal onto the engines as a young man, and moved his way up to engineer, working in Grand Central Terminal and along the various lines with New York Central, Penn Central, Conrail, and finally, Metro-North. When the railroad became Metro-North, Peter entered Management, and he retired as Superintendent of the Harlem Line after serving in a similar capacity in Grand Central and on the Hudson Line. Peter thoroughly enjoyed his 45 year career on the railroad, especially training up and coming engineers, and as a tribute to a former time, reminding conductors to keep their hat on.
Peter loved riding the rails, and he spent many years taking trips across the country via train, both as a young man and when he had his family. He had to settle for planes to visit Hawaii and Alaska, but he did get to see all 50 states with much help from the railroad. He was hoping for a railroad bridge to be built before visiting all of his cousins in Ireland, but alas, he settled for a plane to visit them too.
Peter was a Mason, and was a long time member of Asbury United Methodist Church, serving as an usher and Trustee over the years. In 1969, Peter used his usher duties to block a girl named Marilyn Colbert from leaving the church so quickly. The two were married at Asbury in 1970, and they began their life in Peter’s childhood home where they raised their two daughters.
Peter loved baseball, so after the Dodgers left for Los Angeles, he became a Yankee fan and raised his daughters to be the same. He loved attending the games, and it became an annual tradition to attend the Old Timer’s Game. Peter could also be found cutting the lawn with his non-electric push mower, perfecting his flattop haircut at the barber, or sitting next to his pile of Time and Central Railroad magazines, reading them when he had a moment.
Besides his parents, Peter was predeceased by his beloved Marilyn in 2020. His daughter Denise then took over and lovingly cared for Peter until his passing. He is survived by Denise Castricone (Joseph) and his granddaughter, Landry, all of Texas; his daughter Janice Kulibaba (Peter) of South Carolina; several nieces and nephews; cousins in Ireland, Canada, and England; and several friends, including long time friends Alex and Ina Mackenzie, Barbara Parker, Marilyn Reid, and Caryl and Mike DePalma.
Visitation will be held at Edward F. Carter Funeral Home in Croton on Thursday, March 16 from 4-8pm, and a funeral will be held at Asbury United Methodist Church on Friday, March 17 at 11am, with burial to follow at Bethel Cemetery.
The Funeral Service will be live streamed. Please follow the link to join:
Zoom Info:
Meeting ID: 885 5435 8174
Passcode: 2710000
Or call in on the phone:
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
In honor of Peter’s memory, the family requests that on your next train ride, look out and enjoy the view.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.efcarterfuneralhome.com for the Hansen family.
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