Obituary: Peter Offenhartz—adventurous traveler, devoted husband, and gracious host

Peter Offenhartz was born on June 6, 1939, in Brooklyn, NY, to Harry and Eileen Offenhartz, the eldest of three boys. When Peter was five, the family moved to Croton-on-Hudson, NY, settling on West Mt. Airy Road—often called “Red Hill” due to the number of communists living nearby. Peter and his younger brother Colin enjoyed a free-spirited childhood in the countryside, spending their days fishing, skiing, and walking miles to visit friends or the village.

During high school, Peter showcased his adventurous spirit. After skipping 11th grade, he spent his summers bicycling through Ireland (where he visited his mother’s relatives), Wales, England, and France. He also toured Italy with the American Youth Abroad program. Graduating from Croton Harmon High School in just three years, Peter went on to attend Swarthmore College, where he met the love of his life, Barbara Hopf.

Peter and Barbara, both Chemistry majors, quickly formed a bond. Barbara, a year ahead of Peter, graduated in 1960 with honors. They married on May 29, 1960, just a week shy of Peter’s 21st birthday, with his parents’ permission. Their honeymoon was a hitchhiking adventure through Europe, visiting Ireland, Norway, Denmark, and Germany—a prelude to their lifetime of travel. Their first child, Kathleen, was conceived during this trip and born on May 6, 1961.

Peter joined Barbara at the University of Pennsylvania in 1960, where they both earned doctorates in Physical Chemistry by 1963. They then received fellowships to study in Cambridge, England, under Christopher Longuet-Higgins. Following this, the family embarked on a remarkable journey via the Trans-Siberian Railroad, stopping in Warsaw, Moscow, and Nahodka before sailing to Japan. In Tokyo, Peter and Barbara began NIH fellowships at the Institute of Solid State Physics under Satoru Sugano. Their son, John Ken, was born during a typhoon on September 25, 1964.

From Tokyo, the family traveled through Hawaii and San Francisco before settling in Boulder, Colorado,where Peter taught at the University of Colorado and authored a Quantum Chemistry textbook. After two years, the family moved to Amherst, Massachusetts, where Peter continued teaching and wrote another textbook. His career later took the family to Strasbourg, France, for a year, during which they also explored Africa. Upon returning to Amherst College, Peter pursued his passion for aviation, flying his family across the country several times in a Mooney airplane he purchased.

The family eventually moved to Wellesley, Massachusetts, where Peter worked for the Physical Sciences Group and later founded his own software companies, including Starbuck Data, Software Taylors, Inc., and Matt Timekeeping Systems, Inc. He semi-retired at 65 but continued to explore the world with Barbara.

In retirement, Peter was an active writer with the Wellesley Weston Lifetime Learners Memoir course. He and Barbara were founding members of Wellesley Neighbors in 2011, participating in the Short Story Group, The Playreading Group, and the New Yorker Discussion group. He also served as webmaster and was integral to the tech team until shortly before his death.

Summers were spent at their beloved home on Eagle Island, where they hosted family and friends at “Offenhouse” and sailed the Penobscot Bay. As their children grew, Peter and Barbara traveled extensively, exploring the Silk Road, Sicily, Jordan, Egypt, Greece, and countless ski destinations in Europe and the United States.

Peter will be remembered as an adventurous traveler, devoted husband, and gracious host. He is survived by his wife, Barbara; children, Kathleen and John Ken; daughters-in-law, Kiva and Victoria; grandchildren, Corrin, Claire, and Sean; brothers, Colin and Douglas; and nieces and nephews, Jesse, Ryan, and Caitlin.

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