Peter Allison

HATFIELD-Peter Bradley Allison died peacefully in hospice care at Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, Massachusetts on Sunday, September 10, 2023. Peter was born on January 19, 1945 in Mineola, New York, the youngest of three children born to William K. and Virginia A. Allison. He grew up in Garden City, Long Island, part of a close family that valued education, civility, and civic responsibility. The family supported Peter’s early interest in nature and especially in birds. As a young teenager, Peter joined the now iconic Allen Bird Club. His oil cloth covered 1947 Peterson Guide to the Birds still has pride of place in Peter’s extensive personal library. Peter earned his Bachelor’s Degree from Wesleyan University in Connecticut. He went on to complete a PhD in History from The University of Rochester in New York and a Masters degree in Library Science from the University of Southern Connecticut. During his time in Rochester, Peter met and married Carol Wasserloos, his wife of 54 years, who survives. Peter’s retentive mind and his wide- ranging interests served him well during his career as a university library collection specialist. He worked at Yale University, the University of Alabama, and New York University before settling at the University of Connecticut, Storrs, from which he retired in 2010. A love of books, especially nonfiction and poetry, was a constant throughout Peter’s life. He collected contemporary visual art, and took an active interest in progressive democratic politics. Peter was also a serious sports fan, always rooting for the underdog. (Looking at you, Sacramento Kings and Cleveland Browns). In 1994, Peter and Carol bought a small farm in Hatfield, Massachusetts. Little Pond Farm became Peter’s permanent home base, and he added standard poodle dogs, morgan horses and native plant and vegetable gardening to his portfolio of interests. He enjoyed daily walks by the Connecticut River with the dogs, field trips with the Hampshire Bird Club, and botanizing and birding walks with Carol. In his last years, Peter faced serious challenges from multiple myeloma and especially from the devastating relentless grip of dementia. To the end, Peter remained kind and thoughtful, and there were always unexpected glimmers of his shy smile and ironic sense of humor. Peter was pre-deceased by his parents, a special uncle, Gordon K. Allison, and by his sister, Mary Allison Powers. In addition to his wife, Carol Wasserloos, Peter leaves a brother and sister-in-law, Alexander K. and Rinda Allison of Glen Ellyn, Illinois; a brother-in-law Robert Powers of Narberth, Pennsylvania; a sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Kathy and Douglas Bellows of Wellsville, New York, and several nieces and nephews. IN KEEPING WITH HIS WISHES, PETER’S GREEN BURIAL OCCURRED AT WILDWOOD CEMETERY IN AMHERST MASSACHUSETTS ON SEPTEMBER 15, 2023. A full celebration of Peter’s life will be scheduled in the spring when the warblers return to Wildwood Cemetery. Services were under the auspices of AHEARN FUNERAL HOME, NORTHAMPTON, A CERTIFIED GREEN BURIAL FUNERAL PROVIDER.