Adrian George Pinney

The skilled hands and kind heart of Adrian G. Pinney, 67, of West Swanzey, NH will be greatly missed by many in our community with his sudden passing on Tuesday, September 14, 2021 at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH. His family was blessed to be with him at the time of his death.

His late parents, Clio J. and Georgette (Varville) Pinney, welcomed their son into the world on June 15, 1954 in Keene, NH. Adrian grew up in Dublin, NH and attended area schools including The Dublin School. From a young age, Adrian was a hard worker who found value in any task - making donuts at Dunkin Donuts, grooming trails and working the ski lift at Temple Mountain, and whatever else kept him busy and paid the bills.

Since 1978, Adrian and his wife Norma Jeanne have proudly owned and operated Pinney Plumbing & Heating & Air Conditioning (PPH). As their reputation grew throughout the Monadnock Region, the business relocated from their home to Swanzey Homestead Offices, the historic Page Homestead dairy barn refurbished and repurposed by Adrian and his brother Dana. Their son Ethan Pinney later joined them in running the day-to-day operations. Adrian was a problem solver, committed to helping people in any way he could, serving countless families throughout the region with professionalism, great skill, thoughtfulness and generosity. He was proud of the many accomplishments and talents of the employees of PPH and recognized their many customers as life-long neighbors, colleagues and friends. Hard working with high standards, Adrian saw the potential in each person and helped them to achieve their best work.

Adrian was well respected in the community. He volunteered with many organizations but his greatest contribution was his work with the Boy Scouts as Scoutmaster for West Swanzey Troop 311; District Chairperson for the Boy Scouts of America; Wood Badge leadership course Staff, Director, and Advisor; and Scoutmaster at the National Jamboree. He received the Silver Beaver Award, District Award of Merit, and the Monadnock Good Scout Award.

He loved anything that found him in the great outdoors including winter camping, hunting, snowshoeing, hiking, fishing, downhill skiing, waterskiing, whitewater canoeing, and spending time with family and friends at the family cottage at Rattlesnake Island on Lake Winnipesaukee. He was also an accomplished guitarist and banjo player. His greatest joy in recent years was singing with his grandchildren, teaching them the folk songs that have long lived in family lore. A student of history, Adrian always had a book in progress and enjoyed sharing what he was reading and learning. You knew he was arriving by his crisp whistle, and you knew where he’d been with a cold cup of instant coffee and a finished crossword puzzle.

He will be greatly missed by his wife of 46 years, Norma Jeanne (Makinen) Pinney of West Swanzey; his children, Brandon M. Pinney of Winchester, NH, Ethan M. Pinney of West Swanzey, Erin M. Goodwin (Leon III), of Needham, MA; his grandchildren, Oscar G. Goodwin and Iris J. Goodwin; his siblings, Dana C. Pinney (Cheryl) of Fitzwilliam, NH, Deanna Pinney Jantzen, of Franklin, MA; Allan Geoffrey Pinney (Beth) of Dublin; a brother-in-law, Ronald Makinen and his wife, Tammy Vittum, of Walpole, NH; and many cousins, nieces and nephews, 9 grand-nieces and nephews and extended family members including his aunts Sheila Van Blarcom of Keene, Helen Pinney of Jaffrey and Madeleine Pinney of Dublin. In addition, he will be missed by the talented plumbers and employees both past and present who provided their expertise to the success of PPH as well as the customers and vendors who Adrian counted as friends.

Family and friends are invited to call on Friday evening, October 22, 2021 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm at Foley Funeral Home, 49 Court Street in Keene. Attendees are required to wear face masks and to respect physical distancing guidelines. A memorial service and celebration of Adrian’s life will be held on Saturday, October 23rd at 11:00 am at the Monadnock Covenant Church, 90 Base Hill Road in Keene, NH. The facemask requirements and physical distancing guidelines will be followed at this service as well. The service will be livestreamed on the church's website. To view this livestream, please visit http://mcckeene.org/watch/ starting at 11:00am. A private burial will be held at Mount Caesar Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, for those who wish, donations may be made in Mr. Pinney’s memory to The Community Kitchen, PO Box 1315, Keene, NH 03431 or directly via their website at https://thecommunitykitchen.org/.