Dog owners at Coindre Hall lost a great friend on November 2 when Peter Jurgs, a long time regular at the dog park with his dogs Jenny and until recently Tishea, passed away after a long illness. Peter was easily identifiable at the park by the constant presence of a ball flinger in hand and Jenny, his spry, brown, black and white Cardigan Corgi, chasing one tennis ball after another.

Peter was well known within his own family for his love of animals, especially his dogs. Shea actually started out as his son, Derek’s, dog but when Derek and his wife Alicia moved to Florida, they left Shea and their cat, Shadowlands, with Peter. “My father had no complaints about that,” said Derek. “She was a wonderful, wonderful dog.”

Before Jenny, there was Spike—a Beagle/Pointer mix who saved Peter from being mugged one night at Huntington High School when two young thugs tried to jump him. When one of the thugs started yelling, “Call Your Dog! Call Your Dog!” Peter responded, “No way!” Spike was not fond of strangers and undoubtedly left his mark on the perpetrators.

But, more recently, Peter’s love for dogs focused on Jenny. Jenny came from Toronto and was the first dog that Peter picked out for himself. “He really wanted an active dog that he could take to the dog park,” said Sally, his wife of 46 years. And, active she is! A few years ago Peter sent Jenny to the monks of Mesquite for training and she came back a model dog!

Peter grew up in Flushing, Queens. In 1962, he married Sally Baumert, a nurse to whom he had been introduced by a cousin. Peter and Sally moved to Huntington in the late 1960s where they and their two sons became life long friends with their next door neighbors Jane and George Devine and their children. Sally and Peter’s sons are Derek who now is 40 years old and lives in Port Jefferson with Alicia, and Matthew who is 35 years old and lives in Maryland with his wife Kristine and daughter Grace. Derek remembers his Dad as a “gentle giant. I used to hang from his wrists!” he said.

For most of his life Peter managed large buildings for an independent building management company. During the 1980s, he was responsible for helping manage one of the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center. His office was located on the 104th floor and he had an incredible view of the Statue of Liberty, Derek remembers. More recently, he was a building manager for the GM plant in Long Island City. “He really enjoyed his work and took great pride in what he did,” said his son.

Still another important aspect of Peter’s life was his church, St. Patrick’s in Huntington. For many years, he was a lector at the church, doing readings for masses, as well as a Eucharistic minister. For 20 years in that capacity, he conducted prayer services for patients at Hilaire Nursing Home in Huntington.

In the last few years of his life, Peter began traveling with his family and friends. Among the places he visited were Italy, England, the Canadian Rockies and Alaska. He also took up photography later in his life. “He liked to capture the beauty of nature,” said Derek.

What dog owners at Coindre Hall remember Peter best for was his gentleness and kindness. Towards the end of his life, he was often found sitting at the top of the hill surrounded by his fellow dog owners, swapping stories and the latest news. He particularly enjoyed the “socials” during the winter when hot chocolate would be passed around, said Derek. “Towards the end of his life, Coindre Hall was everything to him,“ he said. “The people there were very special to him—like extended family.”

We will all miss Peter very much.

Donations may be made in Peter’s name to North Shore Animal League, 25 Davis Ave., Port Washington, N.Y. 11050 or Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Ave., New York, N.Y. 10065.