BRISTOL — Peter Arthur Waite, 75, of Bristol, Vt., died peacefully March 20, 2026, only six weeks after being diagnosed with lymphoma.

Son of James B. and Beverly P. Waite, Peter enjoyed a fun-filled childhood in Ridgefield, Conn., where he was the leader of the Marauders, a group of like-minded boys who were known for their small-town pranks. In high school, Peter excelled academically, served as senior class president, and was a state-ranked runner.

Peter earned his B.A. in history at UVM, class of ‘73. In the year following, he worked for Winooski Youth Services as a VISTA volunteer and got his start in what would become a lifelong commitment to working for the public good. Peter pursued an M.Ed. at UVM, where he and his future wife, Lauren, shared several classes and discovered a mutual love of hiking. They courted while climbing the Adirondack 46 and were married in Ticonderoga not long after their 46th summit. They enjoyed the best of partnerships for more than 50 years.

In search of new adventures, Peter and Lauren moved to Seattle, where they trained in mountaineering and climbed many of the state’s highest peaks. Peter took a part-time job as director of Washington Literacy, beginning a 48-year career devoted to adult literacy. As his work evolved into collaborating with other state organizations, he recognized the need for further education and earned an Ed.D., focused on educational leadership, at Seattle University.

In 1982, Peter was named National Director at Laubach Literacy (now ProLiteracy) in Syracuse, N.Y. Over the next four decades, he inspired, organized, and supported volunteers who provided opportunities for illiterate adults to learn how to read, write, and gain other skills essential to navigating the challenges of our inequitable world. Peter advocated for literacy with U.S. Presidents and members of Congress and promoted education as a human right. He recognized that being present at the local level was key to the success of the adult literacy movement, so he traveled to hundreds of local councils to speak at their events, assist with fundraising, and present awards.

Family was always at the center for Peter. He was as proud of his children as any dad could be. He delighted in mentoring, playing, and heading off on adventures with them during their 28 years living in Skaneateles, N.Y. He shared his love of travel and the outdoors through hiking, fly fishing, skiing, kayaking, biking, and rock climbing. When grandchildren were added to the mix, he gave them his undivided attention and was adored by them for participating in full-on, down on his hands and knees, imaginative play that often stretched for hours.

After moving to Bristol and retiring, Peter served as the North American Vice President of ICAE (International Community of Adult Education), while continuing to actively support and mentor his colleagues in literacy. He volunteered for the Addison County River Watch Collaborative and found time for more fly fishing, adding trips out west, as well as mornings on streams throughout Vermont. He continued his annual pilgrimage to Roscoe, N.Y., where 100 years ago his grandfather started a tradition of gathering friends in early June to fish for trout on the Beaver Kill. Kayaking was another favorite activity, a source of both relaxation (nothing like a quiet evening on Bristol Pond) and adventure (paddling the length of Skaneateles Lake in January).

Throughout his adult life, Peter enjoyed creating “quests” to add an extra dimension of discovery to his love of travel. During his extensive work-related travel in the 1980s, Peter, who was early to appreciate craft beer, set out to visit every craft brewery in the U.S., bringing home a souvenir pint glass from each one. This goal became unattainable when the craft beer market exploded, but not before Peter had amassed more than 600 glasses. Undeterred, Peter devised new quests, including hiking to all the state high points in the continental U.S. (he got quite close!), visiting all 251 towns in Vermont, and searching out Vermont’s nearly 200 lost ski areas. Peter knew how to make life both fun and meaningful, and he eagerly shared his enthusiasm with family and friends.

Peter is deeply missed by his wife, Lauren; children, Hillary Waite Condit (Brendan), Chris Waite (Kirsten), and Hannah Waite (Dan); and his grandchildren, Kai, Mae, Julia, Zoe, Olivia, Sadie, Hattie and Wilson. Peter is survived by his brother, Tom Waite, and step-mother, Anne Waite. Peter was pre-deceased by his parents, James B. and Beverly P. Waite, and his sister, Mary W. Tumidjaski.

If you would like to honor Peter with a donation, his family suggests Addison County River Watch Collaborative www.acrwc.org/donate, National Coalition for Literacy (Peter was a co-founder of NCL) nationalcoalitionforliteracy.org/donate, or Fort Ticonderoga Seminar Teachers’ Scholarship Fund fortticonderoga.org/join-and-support/donate/ (please note in comments “Teachers’ Scholarship Fund”). ◊