Peter Joseph Boehmer

Peter Joseph Boehmer, 92, died at his residence at Park Danforth in Portland , Maine on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, from complications due to cancer. Peter was predeceased by his father, Dr. Ludwig Boehmer and mother Magda Boehmer, his sisters Doerthe Needham and Elke Tennant, and his wife of fifty-nine years, Raquel Davenport Boehmer. He is survived by his children Kris Boehmer, Louisa Wickard and Tim Boehmer and their spouses/partners and many grandchildren, great grandchildren and loving family. As a young boy, Peter groomed horses at a track in Douglaston, NY; as a teen he raced Blue Jays on Long Island Sound. Though dyslectic, Peter graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a degree in Philosophy. During his deployment to Korea, he served as an officer and was promoted to First Lieutenant, then organized for the peace movement with the Foundation of Reconciliation (FOR). At age 36, Peter moved to Monhegan Island, Maine, with wife Raquel (Ricki) and three small children, Kris, Louisa, and Tim, who first saw the Island from the deck of a windjammer, the Mary Day. Soon the family decided to remain on Monhegan because they could live a lifestyle that appealed to them without having to pay federal income tax and thereby support the war in Vietnam. Peter and Ricki’s children added to the Island’s school-age population, and the school was re-opened after being closed for several years. For the next forty years, the Boehmers lived on Monhegan in ‘island style’, (think kerosene lamps, wood heat, and water from a well). And they became known for their own style of Monhegan ‘pop-in’ hospitality, welcoming everyone for a glass of Vino Fino, a twist of warm baguette, w/olive oil and salt at your discretion, and a cup of Bustelo. Guests included Billy Payne, Newt Searls, Rita White, Mort Bernstein, Patsy Farrell, and many, many, more). Peter learned carpentry from a local master of the skill, Vernon Burton; he published a local newsletter (The New Monhegan Press) and built a house for his family at Lobster Cove, almost top to bottom (Lorimer ‘Zimmie’ Brackett helped with the roof shingles,). These were the backdrops for the family’s broad involvement in the Monhegan community. Later, Peter and Ricki moved to Falmouth, Maine to assist with the care of a grandchild diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. After his wife passed away in 2017, Peter followed in Ricki's footsteps by learning how to bake bread for friends and family. He opened his house and heart to old and new friends. While there were many books he liked to read and discuss, The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was a perennial favorite. A Little Prince passage he often shared and always kept in mind was, “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye." A celebration of Peter's life will take place on Wednesday, August, 6th, 2025 at 1:00 pm. All friends and family are invited to attend the gathering. It will be held at the School House on Monhegan Island.

Peter Joseph Boehmer

March 3, 1932 - October 16, 2024