Peter C. Stenberg

Peter Stenberg passed away on Sunday, August 9, 2015 at home. He was born in Boston on November 19, 1949, to Peter Stenberg and Sabina Mary Kavanaugh. He attended Boston area parochial schools as a child and graduated high school from Cardinal Cushing Academy. He then went on to graduate from University of Massachusetts, Amherst, with a BS in sociology and psychology in 1974, Masters in Education from Boston State College, and a Masters in Social Work from West Virginia University in 1980. He worked as a social worker at CMMC before establishing Lisbon Counseling, a child and family counseling service in which he practiced for 30 years. He married Janet Blair in 1973 and they spent their honeymoon traveling by car to Alaska and the following summer they backpacked across Europe. They were young and optimistic about their lives together and what could be accomplished in the world, a belief and joy they always held onto. They were best friends. Peter’s best Christmas present ever was the birth of his first son, Sheamus. Together they enjoyed boy scouts, camping and traveling. Peter and his son Liam had a tradition, starting when Liam was 7 years old, to go traveling for a month in the summer. Together they went to Newfoundland, across the US and Canada, Alaska, England, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands and at least ten other countries. They were extremely close and Peter often referred to Liam as his “traveling buddy” or “navigator”, because of his grasp on geography. Liam loved to learn and Peter loved to teach his son. Their bond was unique and unbreakable. He loved to discuss history, educate those around him, and he loved to talk to people. Once as a social worker in the hospital, he came across a patient who recognized him when he was a teenager and Peter was working in a neighborhood sheltered workshop. The patient thanked Peter for talking with him at that difficult time and told him what a difference he had made in his life. Peter had an ability to encourage even the narrowest of minds to look at the bigger picture from other’s point of view as well as to think creatively. Throughout his life Peter has always made it a point to find truth and help others. He is and always will be profoundly missed by his family. He is survived by his mother, Sabina Kavanaugh Stenberg, of Massachusetts, his wife Janet, sons Sheamus and Liam, his sister Margaret and niece Lauren and nephew Garrett. A Celebration of Life will be celebrated at Crosman Funeral Home on Sunday August 16th at 2pm.