Peter M. Shonk

Peter was born in Scarsdale, New York on September 7, 1918, the son of Herbert Bronson Shonk and Gertrude Knight Shonk. Peter attended Saint Paul’s School in Concord, NH, and Williams College, where he majored in Chemistry. He was an accomplished athlete playing hockey, soccer, tennis and squash at Saint Paul’s and Williams. At Williams he was captain of the tennis team and won the squash championship for three consecutive years.

With the advent of World War II, Peter enlisted in the US Navy. One of the most significant experiences in Peter’s life was his service as a carrier based fighter pilot in the US Navy during WWII. His inspiration to become a pilot started in part from his sister Sally, one of the earliest female pilots in the US. Growing up he also met Charles Lindbergh, who was a client of his father’s law firm and later he met Amelia Earhart, with whom Peter acted in a summer play at Loon Point in Dublin. He was a Lieutenant in the Navy during World War II and served on the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise in the South Pacific seeing action in the battles of Guadalcanal, Santa Cruz and Coral Sea. Lieutenant Herbert Bronson Shonk, Peter’s brother, was a dive bomber pilot who was tragically killed in a mid-air collision while training other pilots.

While still in the Navy, Peter married Lucy Lay Clarke in November 1944. With his background in Chemistry, he worked for the Interchemical Company, first in Rhode Island, and then in South Carolina and New Jersey. Later, Klopman Mills, a division of Burlington Industries, hired him. He and Lucy lived for many years in Glen Rock, NJ but spent every summer in Dublin in the home his family owned since 1933. He retired in 1980 and moved full-time to Dublin. In retirement, he and Lucy traveled frequently with Elderhostel to locations throughout the world.

He also loved to ski and play golf and paddle tennis. Beyond his prowess as an athlete was his extraordinary sportsmanship. Everyone who ever competed with him found him to be the consummate gentleman.

Many people who knew Peter found him to be an exemplary role model. He was always polite, generous and never had an unkind word to say about anyone.

In Dublin, Peter served on the town’s Conservation Committee. He was a longtime member of the Dublin Lake Club and served in a variety of leadership positions there. He was also a member of Saint James Episcopal Church in Keene. Earlier this year, Peter was honored at Dublin’s Town Meeting with the Boston Post Cane as the oldest resident of Dublin.

Peter’s wife, Lucy, died in 2011. He is survived by their seven children: Sally Shonk, Cynthia Caddell, Lucy Shonk, Diana Shonk, Peter M. Shonk Jr. and his wife Sylvie Pouliot, Edith Jenkins and David Knight Shonk and his wife Susan. Peter had six grandchildren, Erin Caddell and his wife Grace, Dane Caddell, Gabrielle Shonk, Peter Shonk III, Bronson Shonk and Ariel Shonk, and three great-grand children, Lauren Lucy Caddell, Richard Erin Caddell and Lila Caddell.

A funeral service will be held Saturday, April 27, 2013 at 11:00 AM in the St. James Episcopal Church, 44 West Street, Keene, NH. Burial with military honors will be held later that day at 4:00 PM in the Dublin Town Cemetery, Route 101, Dublin.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Mr. Shonk’s memory to the Dublin Community Center, PO Box 497, Dublin, NH 03444, or to Home Healthcare, Hospice and Community Services, 45 Main Street, Peterborough, NH 03458.

The Foley Funeral Home of Keene, NH, is assisting the family with the arrangements.