Frederick M. Peyser Jr.
MONKTON — Frederick M. Peyser Jr., 82, died unexpectedly on July 21, 2008, at his home in Monkton. He was born Oct. 25, 1925, in Brooklyn, N.Y., the son of Frederick Maurice Peyser and Catherine McKelvey Peyser. He also had a home in Vero Beach, Fla.
As a young man growing up in New York City he attended Friends Seminary and Xavier Military School and graduated from Great Neck High School in 1944.
He served with distinction in the 100th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army, where he received a battlefield commission as a second lieutenant in World War II, making him the youngest officer in the European Theater at that time. His service was recognized with a bronze star and he was the recipient of a purple heart.
Following the war, he attended Williams College where he graduated in 1950 with a Bachelor of Arts cum laude.
As partner in the firm of Hallgarten & Co., he headed the London, Brussels and Geneva offices.
He later became managing partner of the entire firm. He was also CEO of Gruen and Co., a Swiss watch manufacturer, as well as River Processing Inc., and established his own financial consulting firm, Peyser Corporation. He served on the board of directors of The Dorsey Corporation, University Patents and Pargas,among others.
After raising his family in Oyster Bay, N.Y., he retired to the family’s home, Beaverdam Farms, in Monkton, where he enjoyed spending time in nature and sought to protect the natural environment of Vermont through advocacy and philanthropy.
Following retirement, he was actively involved in local Vermont organizations and activities, most notably leading charges against the expansion of high voltage power lines and a gas pipeline in the Champlain Valley. In Florida, he actively supported the arts and Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission in Fellsmere.
