Peter E. Gillett

Peter E. Gillett, age 73 of Towaco, died unexpectedly on Friday, March 25, 2022. Peter had worked for The New York Times for nearly twenty seven years. He retired as a Regional Supervisor in their newspaper distribution department.

Peter grew up in Weehawken, NJ and after high school, he joined the U.S. Navy. He became a cook in the submarine service, and was stationed aboard the USS Scamp and the USS Seahorse. At 6’-4” tall, he didn’t necessarily fit too well inside of a submarine, but he made the best of it. His bunk, or ‘rack,’ was only 6’ long, so he learned to sleep with his knees bent. During his service, he was proud to have received a Certificate of Appreciation signed by the Commander in Chief himself, President Richard Nixon. Peter was honorably discharged in 1974 and returned to civilian life.

In 1971, while on leave from the Navy in Charleston, South Carolina, Peter met Marilyn Saunders. Their whirlwind romance is one for the record books, and they were married twenty days after having met! The following summer, on July 1, 1972, they had an official wedding ceremony at the Cathedral of the Incarnation in Garden City, New York. They celebrated with a honeymoon to the U.S. and British Virgin Islands. They lived briefly in Weehawken before settling in Secaucus. In 1985, they moved to their home in Towaco, where they raised their family and have lived ever since. Peter was very close with his mother, Ann, and she lived with them until her passing in 2010. Ann was a trained European governess, and she helped raise their children.

Peter enjoyed playing cards and had a regular game going with his neighbors for years. He also loved vacationing in St. Maarten with his family, where they visited annually.

Peter is survived by his loving wife Marilyn, his sister Karin, his brother Edward, his daughters Alexis and Wendy, his son Eric, and his grandchildren Amaya, Emma, Ethan, Andrew, Evelyn, Nicolas, and Christopher.