EULOGY FOR PETER MARSHALL
Written by Lori Marshall
Commentary and Presentation by John Peek
Hello. My name is John Peek. I have been friends with Pete since the age of 11 and have shared many precious memories with he and Lori and the girls over the years. I was present the night Pete met Lori and was Best Man in their wedding 30 years ago. Lori asked me to share this for she and the girls today, as well as for myself.
It is tempting to list facts and accomplishments to sum up a life, yet it is the emotional fingerprints one leaves behind that make the most impact. How that person made others feel is what lingers most deeply in our hearts.
Pete brought joy everywhere he went. He had the uncanny ability to face an awkward situation or a challenging person - and disarm the moment with humor or kindness.
His wit is renowned. Even in his gentle chiding he brought humor. The girls remember comments like “You’re about as useful as a chocolate teapot!” Never wanting to miss out – Pete would say “what’s wrong with this picture?”, when he was accidentally missed in a round of beverages with our mates!
Pete brought this good humor to all his pursuits. He loved soccer – or football as it is referred to in most of the world! The “beautiful game” was a staple in the Marshall household. Pete lamented when the girls were little that they had to wait until they were 5 before they could start playing in a league!
He coached the girls’ teams the first 3-4 years when they played rec soccer. So many fond memories of coaching little ones – picking flowers or staring up at airplanes as balls flew past! Once the girls joined Eastside Football Club, he managed their teams over another 10 years. His passion for the game was always a positive force. He was known for always being loving, conscientious and supportive of the parents and the players.
That positivity played out in all Pete did. No one wanted to live more than Pete. That is one of the many reasons why today hurts so much. He fought hard to live. Fighting leukemia in his 20’s, he received treatment in isolation, and for the first time in my life I had to contemplate the fact that I might lose someone very close to me far too young. Later he endured heart attacks, strokes, multiple eye surgeries and of course, ultimately lost the use of his legs. While these challenges were often life-threatening, he faced them with strength, grace and that never-ending humor.
Pete and Lori also worked very hard to bring the lives of Zoe, Abby and Grace into the world. These children were very desperately wanted. After his radiation treatments, in vitro fertilization was the only path that would allow Pete and Lori to have their own biological children. These girls are miracles – like all children – but especially so in that their father had already faced terminal illness.
Pete embodied devotion to the family he created with Lori. His love of Lori, Zoe, Abby and Grace was true north – it never waivered and it was the drive behind all of his actions. His deep love for Lori was evident in daily life – she was his “everything.” Even when Pete was sick he didn’t worry about himself; he worried how his illness would impact his family. His family meant the world to him.
When he learned of this latest illness, the first thing he said to Lori is that he did not want to leave them. That he wanted to somehow stay with them, look over them. In the last two weeks of his life, he started having visions of leaving for “another world,” playing cricket against India. He wanted his shoes so he could find the “path” to this other world. He was excited and said that he did not want to leave them, but that they would be OK - and he asked all four of them together for permission to leave.
This promise of the afterlife – his excitement of living in “another world” that allowed Pete to begin to move on, is our hope today. You will hear the readings and scripture today talk of the hope of eternal life. Lori, Zoe, Abby and Grace look to be reunited with their precious Pete someday. Many of us do - and we pray for his soul in heaven.
December 8th 2023
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