LAFFERTY, PETER DORIOT

LAFFERTY, PETER DORIOT, of Yardley, and Avalon, N.J., died peacefully at home in Avalon Thursday, Aug. 22, 2013. He was 81. Peter was preceded in death by his wife of 54 years, Marilyn Gorrell Lafferty. Born Jan. 2, 1932, in Philadelphia, Peter was the third son of Thomas and Helen Lafferty. He was raised in Philadelphia, and spent every summer since 1934 at his family’s home in Avalon, where he worked in the movie theater, as a pin setter in the bowling alley, and also as a mail sorter in the post office. During his free time, he sailed and participated in more than a few regattas where he raced his Lightning. Peter was a graduate of Overbrook High School and Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science. Upon graduating from college in 1954, he married Marilyn Gorrell and began his more than 40 year career as a textile engineer. In 1959 Peter and Marilyn moved to Yardley, so that he could commute to JP Stevens & Co. in New York City, remaining with that company and commuting until his retirement in 1997. Peter was a member of Newtown Presbyterian Church for more than 50 years. He served as an elder, deacon and an usher. He also was actively involved in the preservation of the historic church on Sycamore Street. In Avalon, Peter attended Wells Memorial Presbyterian Church and First United Methodist Church. In his retirement, Peter and his wife enjoyed traveling to islands. Barbados and Nantucket were their favorites. He enjoyed beach combing, particularly for sea glass, which he used to create extraordinary mosaic images. Peter was a talented artist and used various mediums including oil paints and water colors, working with beach glass, and painting beach scenes and lighthouses on driftwood. He was an avid reader and crossword puzzle doer. He possessed many musical talents, playing both the trumpet and the ukulele. Peter particularly loved spending time at the beach with his grandchildren, where he directed many summers of Camp Runamuck, his fond reference to the general chaos created by his grandchildren. At home, he could be counted on to attend their bag piping performances, crew regattas, band concerts, soccer and hockey games, and many other events. Peter is survived by his daughters and their husbands, Nancy and Paul Scarlato and Amy and Jim Horwath; his grandchildren, Caroline and Henry Scarlato, and Jay and Steffen Horwath; and many other family members and friends. There will be a viewing at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 29, followed by a funeral service at 2:30 p.m. at Newtown Presbyterian Church. Memorial donations in Peter’s name may be made to Holy Redeemer Hospice-NJ Shore, 1801 N. Route 9, Cape May Court House, NJ 08210 or to Newtown Presbyterian Church/Historic Church Committee, 25 North Chancellor St., Newtown PA 18940. To share your fondest memory of Peter, please visit the Web site below. Swartz/Givnish Funeral Home, Newtown www.lifecelebration.com