Veazie, Peter J.

Peter J. Veazie, PhD (1963-2025)

Peter Jon Veazie, 61, of Rochester, NY, died unexpectedly on the evening of February 14th. His sudden loss has devastated his family and friends, colleagues and students, and all who were fortunate to know him.  

Peter is preceded in death by his father, Ralph Veazie. He is survived by his wife Wendy, son Matthew, daughter Devin, mother Aurora Veazie, brother Mark (Heather) Veazie, and a large, close extended family.

Born on July 18^th, 1963, Peter started out life in Seattle, WA. He lost his father to cancer when he was six and his brother eight. Following Ralph’s death, Aurora devoted herself to raising her sons. Her love and abiding faith shaped Peter into a man of quiet strength and goodness. She also taught him to be curious about the world. The three Veazies spent hours on Saturdays talking about anything and everything—a tradition that continued every time they were together.  

Peter graduated from Roosevelt High School and the University of Washington, earning a B.S. in Construction Management. He was incredibly artistic and creative, naturally musical, loved the outdoors, very caring, and a joy to be around. He developed a witty sense of humor that kept others laughing to the point of making it difficult to breathe. His philosophical aptitude made it hard for his older brother to win an argument with him. After college, he worked for local health departments in Washington State. Peter was also a seasonal park ranger in Yellowstone National Park for eight years where he learned law enforcement, backcountry canoeing, and gourmet cooking. After breathing too much smoke during the Yellowstone fire of 1988, he completely changed careers. He started graduate school at the University of Minnesota where he met Wendy, his future wife.

Wendy and Peter’s love story began in the fall of 1995 when she heard Peter teaching statistics in a classroom near her office. Her first thought was, “What a beautiful voice.” Her second thought was, “Who is that excited about statistics?” Wendy spent several months walking back and forth, making unnecessary copies and cups of coffee just to pass by the classroom when Peter was teaching. Thanks to determination and help from mutual friends, Wendy and Peter finally had their first date in early 1996. They were married in Stillwater, MN, on September 28, 1997. Every day they were together, Peter held Wendy’s hand.

Peter completed his PhD in Health Services Research in 2003. By that time, Peter and Wendy had welcomed their son Matthew, and moved to Florida where Peter began his career at the University of Florida. Through his graduate school connections, Peter was asked if he would consider a job at the University of Rochester. Rochester, being Wendy’s hometown, made the decision an easy Yes. Peter thrived in his career. He was a natural academic and singular in his field. An overview of his accomplishments can be found here: https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/public-health-sciences/news

In 2006, Peter and Wendy welcomed their daughter, Devin, and their family was complete. Peter was an affectionate, fun and gentle father, who always found plenty of time to spend with his children. Favorite family activities included weekend hikes in the parks around Rochester, and many movie and game nights at home. He made the best blueberry pancakes and gave the best hugs. Matt remembers his dad as always encouraging him to try new things, and to stick to it even when he didn’t enjoy it at first. For Devin, he was the voice of reason in a crazy world: a calm, collected presence that she could always count on to ease her worries and remind her that, no matter what, everything would be ok. He made sure they both knew how to think for themselves. He will always be their role model for the best kind of person to be.

A special part of Peter’s life was the community at Aikido Kokikai of Rochester Dojo, where he practiced for 17 years reaching the rank of Yondan (4^th Degree). He wrote, “For me, Aikido is working with my environment to improve the wellbeing of myself and others, adapting and shaping to mitigate negative situations while generating positive ones.” His beautiful spirit will be missed.

A celebration of Peter’s life is planned for May 30^th , beginning at 4:00, at Buckland Lodge in Brighton, NY.