GILFORD ---- Peter Thomas Kraft, Sr., 84, of Gilford, passed away on Monday, March 4, 2024, at Concord Hospital, Concord, NH.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, he grew up in Mount Vernon, New York. He attended Villanova University where he met his wife Linda when she was a senior in high school. They married in September of 1962 at Saint Thomas of Villanova Church and moved back to Mount Vernon, to be close to family and where they had three children.
Peter spent his summers as a youth at Camp Kabeyun in Alton. This is where his love of New Hampshire took hold. In 1970 they relocated to Laconia, where they raised their family and also helped build the family summer home on Worcester Island on Springfield Point in Wolfeboro, where many summer memories were made.
Peter was actively involved in many activities in the Lakes Region over the years. He was a social worker for 20 years with child protective services and the remainder of work history was in insurance. He was involved with Kiwanis Club, Lakes Region Youth Hockey and always involved in his children’s activities.
Family was most important to him. He enjoyed traveling with his wife and they spent their 25th anniversary in Maui and there 50th anniversary in Europe. He also treasured spending time with his grandchildren, Nicole, Kirstin, Tylor and Bryan. He also had two bonus grandchildren, Josh and Nick. Distance made it hard, but technology made it easier to keep in touch.
He was a true New England Patriots fan and had faithfully watched the team through the good and bad years. He always enjoyed his NFL Sundays watching the games with his daughter and son-in-law. Their home was the pride and joy of Peter and his late wife, Linda. After Linda’s passing, he kept up the yard with beautiful flowers and landscaping. If you called him and he didn’t answer, he was tending to his flowers. It is what his wife Linda would have wanted and it kept her close to his heart.
Peter was an advocate for AA and assisted in running the Friday nights men’s meeting in Laconia. He was known as “The Coach.” His biggest hope was that something he said at each gathering would be the one thing that someone could take away and begin to change their life or help them get through a difficult time. The path he successfully began 15 years ago helped him get back the most precious gift of all — his family.
Peter Sr. is survived by his brother, Terry O’Reilly of Carmel, New York (spouse Donna O’Reilly); sister, Mary Lou of Florida; three children, Lori Kraft Shihad of Riverside, California (spouse Matt Shihad), Peter Kraft Jr. of Rio Rancho, New Mexico (spouse Robin Kraft), and Kathleen Kraft Cragin of Alton (spouse Rick Cragin); and six grandchildren who were his pride and joy, Nicole Shihad, Kirstin Shihad, Tylor Kraft, Bryan Shihad, Joshua Tamblyn and Nick Tamblyn. Peter Sr. was preceded in death by his wife Linda Kraft, parents Albert and Lucille Bond Kraft, his brother Micheal Kraft and sister Maureen Cleary.
A celebration of life will occur later on this year.
Donations may be made to the National Diabetes Association American Diabetes Association, PO Box 7023, Merrifield, VA 22116-7023 or to Alcoholics Anonymous, PO Box 2407, James A Farley Station, New York, NY 10116-2407 in lieu of flowers.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services/603Cremations.com, 164 Pleasant St., Laconia, NH, 03246, is assisting the family with arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial, please visit wilkinsonbeane.com.