Peter Joseph Tierney
Died September 5, 1976
A 6’4” epeeist, Peter (known to some as Stork) earned a major Y in fencing; he resided in Berkeley while majoring in philosophy and was a member of Army R.O.T.C.
He prepared at River Dell Regional High School in Oradell, NJ.
Peter’s mother reported in December, 1976 that Peter had been killed in Alaska on September 5, 1976, his capsized canoe having been found in the Yukon River, not far from his village.
David Roscoe remembers:
At about 6’ 4”, Pete was convinced he had what it took to be an outstanding epeeist on the fencing team. He’d pasted a small target on the entryway wall outside his room, and from a spot about 15’ away, he’d lunge again and again until he’d successfully hit his target five times in a row. This was a daily exercise, usually right after he’d arisen from one of his beloved “rack attacks” that hit him often and kept him from attending classes, except of course on days his R.O.T.C. meetings were held. I got to know Pete even better in our society, and was looking forward to a lifelong friendship. He was lost to us all way too soon.
Christopher Cooke remembers:
Wonderful humorist, companion and worldclass procrastinator, Pete became a teacher in Rural Alaska but unfortunately died in a boating accident, which happened just weeks before we would have seen each other at a conference.
Robert Leich remembers:
Pete, “The Stork,” as we called him, was one funny guy and a character. You couldn’t be around him for long without having him make you laugh. The canoeing accident in which he lost his life came far too soon, in what would have surely been an interesting and productive life.