Joseph Rush

Pete was born on March 20, 1943, to Joseph G. and Mary T. Rush (nee Conley), in Orange, New Jersey. A gifted and tenacious athlete known for his Irish temper and sense of humor, Pete co-captained the Chatham, New Jersey, High School football team. He also played and captained football at Moravian College, from which he graduated in 1965.

Pete then embarked on a career with the United States Secret Service. Early on, he worked on the Organized Crime Strike Force. Later assignments included details for then-presidential candidates George Wallace in 1968 and Ronald Reagan in 1980. He retired as Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Office in 1987. He described his years with the Secret Service as “the best possible job I could have ever imagined.”

After retirement, he founded a real estate development business on Cape Cod. A talented woodworker, he brought a thoughtful eye to those projects. In 1992, Pete co-founded a company that served as security consultants for Union Pacific for over 20 years and for Democratic or Republican national presidential conventions every four years from 1992 until 2012.

A year-round resident since the late 1980s, Pete started nearly every day with a walk on the beach, most often accompanied by one of his beloved golden retrievers. Those walks were moments of true happiness for Pete.

He is survived by his wife, Anne (nee McCrystal), and his children, Robert and Megan, as well as Anne’s son, Stephen Carlo. He is also survived by his sister Deborah Rush Cronkite. He was predeceased by his sister Mary Ann and his brother Michael.

Instead of flowers, the family requests donations in Pete’s memory to Moravian University (1200 Main Street, Bethlehem, PA 18018). The family will plan a celebration of Pete’s life for late summer or early fall. For online condolences, please visit www.nickersonfunerals.com.