Peter John Gammans

Peter Gammans, 90, of Keene, after a period of failing health, passed peacefully at home surrounded by his loving family.

Peter was born at home, on the south coast of England, first son of Colin and Cynthia (Bushby) Gammans.Living in Lancing, a beachside village on the South Downs, in West Sussex, he well remembered, through the eyes of a young boy, the second World War, especially the massing of US and Canadian troops in preparation for the D-Day invasion, when he was 8 years old.Educated in England, he served his engineering apprenticeship in Coventry at Standard Motor Car Company. Immigrating with his first wife and young sons in 1966, he worked for Boeing Aircraft in Seattle, before coming to Keene to work for Kingsbury Machine Tool Corporation. The family became US citizens in 1977. In his many years at Kingsbury, he held supervisory positions in engineering, was head of R&D, and chief engineer of the assembly machine division.In a very active and long retirement Peter and his wife Ellen continued to refurbish homes and travel extensively in the US and around the world.Peter was adventurous, curious, a loyal friend, a devoted husband, and proud father. He was also stained glass artist, a fine woodworker, a cabinet maker, a scuba diver and underwater photographer, and an increasingly competent chef and baker.Peter is dearly missed by his wife of 40 years, Ellen (Reinholz), his sons, Gary Gammans (Renee) of Spofford; Carl Gammans (Junko) of Sandown; stepson Robert Dadura of Westmorland; stepdaughter Laura Johnston (Alan) of Dover; his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Colin Gammans; Courtney Harris (Corbin) her children Victoria and Tyler; Anika Gammans; Brian Johnston (Tyler) his sons Jack and Andrew; Kevin Johnston (Bethany); Faith Clardy; nieces and cousins.Peter is predeceased by his parents, his brother Colin Geoffrey Gammans, his beloved grandson Tyler G Gammans, and his niece Traci Gammans Harris.A celebration of life will be held at a later date, in memory donations may be made to, Hospice at HCS, PO Box 564, Keene, NH 03431