Peter N. Kujachich
June 5, 1919 - January 7, 2017
Peter N. Kujachich passed away on Saturday afternoon after a long struggle with pulmonary disease. He touched many lives with his gentle spirit, positive outlook on life and his philanthropic endeavors.
Peter was born in Oakland into a close-knit Montenegrin family consisting of his parents, a sister fifteen years his senior and a number of aunts, uncles and cousins. He attended Lafayette Elementary School and graduated from University High School before enrolling at the University of California where he earned a BA in 1941 in political science with an emphasis on public administration.
The threat of war loomed large and Peter applied and was granted a commission in the United States Navy as an ensign. Stationed in Washington, D.C. for the first two years of his service, he was with the convoy and routing section, which was in charge of shipping supplies and materials across the Atlantic. Later he was assigned to the U.S.S. Biscayne where he was in charge of 300 men, which included radio coders and de-coders.
In 1946 with the rank of Lieutenant Commander, Peter returned to inactive duty. His first civilian job was with Southern Pacific where he worked in the Freight Traffic Department. Later he worked for the Interstate Commerce Commission before he took his last job at the California Public Utilities Commission.
After a 38 year career in the field of transportation, he retired to Rossmoor where he was active in a number of clubs, organizing the Rossmoor Folk Dance Club, earning with his partner the overall championship of the Duplicate Bridge Club and participating in a number of activities at Rossmoor.
One of the most memorable events of the recent past was the marriage of his godson Vladimir Malinovsky. Peter escorted the bride, Russian-born Ekaterina Obukhova, down the aisle of Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church on September 16, 1996.
Peter was an active member of St. George Serbian Orthodox Church in Oakland and at Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church in Moraga. In both parishes he served on the board of directors.
Peter was an avid traveler, visiting Yugoslavia three times where he had relatives in Montenegro and Dubrovnik. These trips reinforced his feeling for the country of his ancestors.
The Peter N. Kujachich Endowment in Balkan Studies was a welcome addition to the University of California at Berkeley. Peter’s concept for the endowment evolved over the years. “My first thought was to establish an endowment in Serbian history. However, in discussing this with university officials, they advised me that they would prefer the endowment to be broader in scope to encompass not only history, but also art, literature, music, religion, language, etc. That way it would have a wider coverage and thus generate more interest.”
Over the past two decades, Peter Kujachich established three endowments at U.C.: in 1991 the Sophia Chero Kulich Undergraduate Scholarship; in 1995, the Peter N. Kujachich Endowment in Serbian and Montenegrin Studies; and in 2006, the Peter N. Kujachich Endowment for Graduate Fellowships in the College of Letters and Science. The endowment paid for an annual guest lecture on topical issues. For his generous support of the University of California, Peter was honored as Builder of Berkeley. His name is No. 615 among the 630 whose major gifts span the 143 years of the university’s history.
Peter is survived by an extended family of godsons, their families and friends. Among these relatives are Helen DeMonte of Rossmoor.
At Peter’s request the funeral is private. Donations may be made in his name to one’s favorite charity.