Obituary of John M. Peach

A life well lived has come full circle.  On March 30, 2026, after a lengthy battle with melanoma, John M. Peach passed away under hospice care at the Seigenthaler Center.  He was 76.  

John M. Peach was born on October 7,1949 in Ithaca, New York to parents Robert Peach and Minge Clark Peach. The family moved to Clinton, New York after his father, the CEO of Mohawk Airlines, relocated the company to Utica.  Nicknamed "Thumper" at an early age, John attended public school in Clinton and received a BA from St. Lawrence University in 1971, where he was a member of the men's ice hockey team.

Edwin A. Link, well known in Binghamton, New York, and inventor of the flight simulator bearing his name, was an early mentor of John's.  In the 70's, Link partnered with J. Seward Johnson, Sr., executive, director and son of the Johnson & Johnson founder.  Together they established the Harbor Branch Foundation, an oceanographic research foundation in Fort Pierce, Florida, with the intent of building submersibles. John was hired as the first employee and eventually became Director of Properties, managing the design and construction of engineering and science laboratories, as well as a 900-ton marine railway and repair for their ocean-going ships.

Nurtured by his relationship with his father and growing up around the airline industry, John's love of aviation came naturally, and he became a pilot, holding single, multi-engine, instrument and seaplane ratings. In the Bahamas, utilizing his love of aviation and commuting by seaplane, John oversaw the development, management and maintenance of extensive residential and resort properties owned by J. Seward Johnson, Sr.

John met his wife, Pat, in Fort Pierce, Florida.  There they married, built a home in a citrus grove and had two children, John, Jr. and Sara.  An interest in tree farming and growing citrus, which started out as a hobby, eventually became a thriving business.

Later relocating to Princeton, New Jersey, John was recruited to become the Managing Director of a family office and foundation controlling multiple U.S. and international companies.  The range of industries and interests of the family office and its foundation included: pharmaceutical research, medical equipment development, veterinarian drugs, shipbuilding in post-communist Poland, the sale and restoration of antiques and fine art, and the development of residential and resort properties. In his position, John traveled extensively to England, Switzerland, Poland, Monaco, Austria, Liechtenstein and the Bahamas.

In Princeton, John served on numerous boards, including the Pennington School and Princeton Day School.  As chair of the building and grounds committee at Princeton Day School, he oversaw the construction of a state-of-the-art science laboratory and ice hockey rink.  He was a mentor and hockey coach at Stuart Country Day School and Princeton's Nassau Hockey club teams.

John's lifelong love of the Thousand Islands and St. Lawrence River region led him back to his roots after leaving Princeton.  He and Pat purchased a 200-year-old historic farmhouse in Clinton, New York, a two-hour commute to the St. Lawrence River, and most recently a cottage in Clayton, New York.  Previously, they owned a cottage on Huckleberry Island near Rockport, Ontario and a cottage on Manhattan Island in Alexandria Bay, a property long associated with the Peach family dating back to his parents' purchase in the 1950's.

In the 1970's, John became a supporter of Save The River, then a fledgling group of concerned citizens opposed to winter navigation on the St. Lawrence Seaway.  He later joined the board and became the board chair.  For five years prior to his retirement, he proudly served as its Executive Director.

John was a voracious reader, storyteller without peer, extraordinary friend, mentor, and a lover of aviation, duck decoys, fishing, tractors and restoring old wooden boats. He was a wonderful and caring husband, father, friend and colleague and will be sorely missed.  He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Pat, his daughter Sara Messier, her husband Ryan, and their two sons, Teddy and Ben; his son John, Jr. and his wife Pamela; brothers Robert; Timothy and his wife Eileen; David and his wife Joyce; and a sister Martha.  There will be no service.  A celebration of life will take place at the family's convenience in the Thousand Islands.

The family requests that donations in John's memory be made to Hospice & Palliative Care-the Seigenthaler Center, 4277 Middle Settlement Road, New Hartford, New York 13413.