Peter N. Waldmeir

Pete was born Jan. 16, 1931, to Joe Waldmeir and Helen Nielsen, during the Great Depression in Detroit. Unknown to him at the time, young Pete and his sister and brother were recipients of Old Newsboys' Goodfellow packages at Christmas. As an adult, Pete became a champion and president of the Goodfellows organization in Detroit.

Following graduation from Denby High School in Detroit, in 1948, at age 17, Pete worked as a copy boy for The Detroit News before serving as a sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1951-53, during the Korean War. A proud Marine, Pete lived the corps motto, Semper Fi, throughout his life.

After serving his country, Pete returned to The Detroit News as a sports writer, working his way up to sports columnist in the 1960s, mentoring under the likes of Doc Greene, another Detroit legend. In 1972, he relinquished his position as associate sports editor and columnist to be a four-days-a-week general news columnist, a position he held until his retirement in 2004.

Pete came out of retirement for a short time to work for the Grosse Pointe News as an editorial writer and columnist following John and Terry Minnis’s purchase of the newspaper in 2017.

Throughout his 53-year career with The Detroit News, Pete earned many journalism awards, including Michigan Sportswriter of the Year (three times), the Headliner Award from the National Headliners Club, Wayne State University Journalist of the Year (where he had attended) and the Detroit Press Club’s The Best in Journalism Award. He was inducted into the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame in 2005.

Pete also wrote for such national publications as Sports Illustrated, Time and Life magazines. In 1995, a collection of Pete’s Detroit News columns was published in a book, “Little Beads of Blood,” by Gold Leaf Press.

Pete joined the Old Newsboys’ Goodfellows organization in 1980, serving as president in 1988. He emceed the annual Goodfellow of the Year Breakfast since its inception in 1990, ceding the role to WJR’s Paul W. Smith in recent years. At his death, Pete was still an active member of 43 years of the Old Newsboys’ Goodfellow Fund of Detroit.

Unknown to many, Pete served communion every Sunday to residents as a volunteer at the St. John Senior Center and delivered Meals on Wheels for Services for Older Citizens, now The Helm at the Boll Life Center.

After retiring from newspapers, Pete became active in municipal government. He was elected to the Grosse Pointe Woods City Council in 2005, with 4,284 of the 5,739 votes cast — the highest total ever for a council candidate in the city’s then 50-year history. During his single term on the council, Pete served as vice-chairman of the Pension Fund and chairman of the Compensation and Evaluation Committee.

Before moving to Grosse Pointe, Pete was general chairman of the victorious $22 million bond campaign that built L’Anse Creuse North High School, South Junior High, five elementary schools, bus garage and remodeled administration building. An athletic field at L’Anse Creuse Central High School is named in his honor.

Pete is survived by his wife of nearly 48 years, Marilyn; daughters, Patti Waldmeir of Chicago and Lindsey Waldmeir of Grosse Pointe Woods; son, Christopher Waldmeir (Rebecca) of Grosse Pointe; six grandchildren, Sara Perry, Charlotte Waldmeir, Grace Waldmeir, Lucy Waldmeir and Weston and Blakelyn Waldmeir; and three great-grandchildren, Jackson and Layla Perry and Santiago Meneses. He was predeceased by his siblings, Patricia and Joseph Waldmeir; and son, Peter W. Waldmeir (Sandra), an attorney with Miller Canfield and longtime councilman with the city of Grosse Pointe Farms.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Old Newsboys’ Goodfellow Fund of Detroit, P.O. Box 44444, Detroit, MI 48244-0444, or detroitgoodfellows.org/shop/donate/.

A memorial gathering will take place on Thursday, January 18, 2024 at Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church, 467 Fairford, Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan at 10:00 AM until the time of the Memorial Mass at 11:00 AM.

Live stream link: https://www.olsos.org/posts/funeral-mass

Arrangements entrusted by A. H. Peters Funeral Home