Pete's Thoughts on Me Moving to Waipahu

Peter was human, most at home with nature. 
Most notably, mushrooms.

 

Late last night, my brother-by-another, Peter Savoie, left this plane of existence.  Countless people felt similar affection for him; he was a brother.  There will be time for sharing of more stories, in the future. 

For the purposes of this blog, I will share only the part relevant to our subject.  I almost didn't come here because of Peter.  2.5 years ago he was diagnosed with an extremely aggressive gioblastoma (brain cancer).  Due to life circumstances, I became his on-again, off-again primary caregiver, at least in the first year.  This experience changed my life.  Pete beat the odds, and lived far longer than expected.

Anyway, as Pete put his "house in order," he re-established his lifelong love with his mate, Bridget.  

Because of Bridget's loving care, and Pete's assurances, I felt comfortable following my dream ... which ended up being Waipahu.

Pete and I continued to talk and text on a regular basis.  He was thrilled about me following my dream.  He loved his friends like family.  For him, we were family.

Pete loved conversations about the food and cooking here, how much local food was available.  Those who know Pete know he asked this about every place.

Pete was fascinated by the Filipino and other cuisines that I was eating, encountering, and occasionally cooking.

Peter would often say how miserable he would be in the warmth.  But then we would talk about me hiking in the mountains here, and he would say, "I could get used to that."  

When I would talk about the bond between the people of Hawai`i and the natural world, especially sitting at the beach, Pete would say, "I could get used to that."  He resonated.

A couple times, Bridget, Pete, and I pined about "bringing him out here" to live at the beach.  Much like Dr. Mark Greene did on his last episode of ER.

There will be more time to talk story.

With love and aloha, Pete.

From that last Dr. Greene episode

Coda Addition 9-15-25

Mahalo to Bridget for sending along Pete's Obituary: https://www.rivetfuneralhome.com/obituary/peter-savoie

Bridget posted the following on 9-26-25:

My Husband 

My husband was the most incredible human being I have ever known. It’s challenging to try to explain it in a post or even when talking to someone. I end up with the cliched phrase of “how much time do you have to listen?” 

Peter was a truly remarkable man. His first thought in any situation was the comfort and well being of others. He would most often put the needs of those around him before his own and truly go out of his way to make sure that they were happy. To boast, but humbly so, I have to admit that if there was ever a desire in my heart; no matter how big or small, Peter would always do whatever he could to make my wishes a reality.

It was something I never had in a relationship before and one of the reasons I love him as much as I do. He cared. He cared so deeply.

Not just for me but for everyone in his life and anyone who may be in need of help. He spent countless hours putting together community dinners for the food insecure people in his area. Giving  his time, his land, and his food so that people could have a good meal and be cared for even if just for an evening. He was always willing to lend a hand or an ear or a shoulder to absolutely anyone who needed it. Peter rarely failed to show up for you. In addition to his attention, he made sure you felt SEEN. I have never experienced anything like it before him, and doubt I will find it again in my lifetime. He saw me. My strengths he celebrated, my insecurities he comforted, my failures he held for me as a lesson on my path towards growth and the fullness of my human experience. He loved me fiercely no matter which version of me I showed up as. “Whoever you are today is who I love” he would say.

His love gave me peace, and faith that I was worthy. His gentleness with my emotional wounds is a gift I cannot describe sufficiently, but I will spend the rest of my life trying to find the words. 

Pete was incredibly intelligent, articulate, disarmingly charming, hard working, cultured, educated, talented, generous, loving, witty, and brave. People continue to comment on how charming and confident he was. I used to call it his swagger which always made him smile. He liked the idea of being memorable yet he was astonishingly humble and actually quite shy which made him all the more extraordinary. He was truly the most interesting person I have ever met and I always teased him about having a ridiculously impressive portfolio. Once he developed an interest in something he was all in until he understood it fully or mastered it. It didn’t matter if it was educating himself on the concerns of our environment or food insecurity in America, or survival skills to live off the land and how to teach others to do the same. He was obsessed with science and understanding the universe and how we are all connected. He felt we could use the knowledge to create a healthier and more harmonious world. He continuously encouraged people to reconnect with nature and their inner selves. He’d share books, wisdom and meditations to help you find your way. He believed in the inherent greatness in us all. If you met him, he’d ask a hundred questions to get to know you. He made your story important and was genuinely interested in your life and the things you were passionate about.

As far as talent, I could actually fill pages about him. He was a gifted musician to say the least. He was accepted into the classical guitar program at The Boston Conservatory out of high school. They had almost 600 applicants that year and they only took 2 students…

His love for guitar never waned, and he spent much of his time playing and teaching others what he knew. Pete could build you a house and build the furniture inside. He could landscape your dream garden and give you all the tips you could ever need to deter pests, enrich your soil, and have the best possible yield at harvest time. (And tell you all the ways to preserve it through winter.) He could spend hours talking to you about the benefits of plants and mushrooms and give you the information on how to grow them, forage them, harvest them, and turn them into medicine. He was a skilled fisherman and sometimes even a hunter. He could quite easily go out into the woods and bring back everything that was needed for a full meal, not to mention cook it perfectly. He had a deep love for amazing food and was a brilliant chef. (He also made a hell of a margarita.)

I could continue endlessly about him and all the things I haven’t even mentioned like his passion for history, spirituality, and  all kinds of music; or his newfound love for painting and how deeply he loved his son. How being a father was everything to him and how unceasingly his days were surrounded by that love and immense pride of his child. He was hands down the most amazing father I have ever witnessed. There are so many things that I still want to share about the life he led and the greatness he brought to us all, and selfishly I also want to share that this man gave me more love than I knew how to handle. I was adored, cherished, supported, and truly seen. I was treated as his equal but also as a queen. When we lived in Michigan together, during the cold winter, he set his alarm to wake up before me. He would get a fire going, make my coffee, and put my couch blanket in the dryer to warm it up so when I got out of bed I could be warm and comfortable. He did this every morning. Every. Single. Morning. 

I never, until the last few weeks of his illness,  had to open a door if he was with me. No matter how sick he was, he still did everything he could to take care of me, and prided himself on being a gentleman. To say that I am grateful to have been the recipient of his love feels understated. While he was not without flaw, he was my perfect partner and a gift in this life that I will forever be thankful for. It has been my absolute privilege to be his wife. He was my best friend and the love of my life. I have always said there was the person I was before I met Pete, and the person I have become since knowing him. I can honestly say he left me much better than he found me and it is because he loved me without limits. 

I am forever grateful my love. 🤎

I’ll be seeing you