Peter Michael Etzel ’71

Peter Michael Etzel ’71 of Norwell, Massachusetts, passed away on December 15, 2022. He fought a courageous 10-month battle against glioblastoma, rallying frequently to spend time with his family. Peter leaves his wife of 46 years, Peggy; son Michael; daughter-in-law Caitlin; and granddaughters Orla and Maeve. Peter grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut. He loved the outdoors from childhood family camping trips and summers at Boy Scout camp. Soccer, skiing, and hiking added to the mix during his years at the Berkshire School in Sheffield, Massachusetts. His love of the outdoors continued at Dartmouth, where he earned an A.B. in psychology in 1971 and an M.B.A. in 1972. Travel was also important to Peter and included a honeymoon with Peggy to Tahiti. Hawaii, the Maine coast, and California’s wine country were favorite destinations; a trip to Vienna had been planned to celebrate Peter and Peggy’s 45th anniversary. Peter spent 35 years in the pharmaceutical industry. After retiring he worked in public school administration and later negotiated medical supply contracts for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Peter was active in the Norwell community, where he coached boys soccer, served on the board of assessors, and was a frequent town meeting participant. He was also a grand master at Phoenix Lodge in Hanover, Massachusetts, for 18 years. His great pleasure was reading and during the Covid quarantine, Peter enjoyed many hours reading to granddaughter Orla, who was born on his birthday in June 2022.