George Urban Peterkin

George Urban Peterkin has recently passed away, after a short battle with lung cancer. Born in the Norwalk Hospital on August 15, 1951, George was a resident of Darien for 50 years before moving to Stonington, CT, for the last 20. He chose Stonington because “it’s what I remember Darien was like when I was growing up”.

He became a supporter of The Mystic Seaport in keeping with his family’s nautical background. George was particularly proud of his father’s Naval career in the Pacific during WII, as part of the famed Torpedo Squadron 8. George put together a manuscript of that Naval career from his father’s countless letters sent to family, his oral history, and his journals and notes. George had it published privately and shared it with extended family and some of the survivors of that Squadron. That manuscript was referenced and excerpts were used by Robert Mrazek in his book “Dawn Like Thunder”, the True Story of Squadron Eight”.

George was a lifelong gardener, having held jobs for many years at Kelly’s Nursery and The Garden Center in Darien. He often brought home the nurseries’ cast offs and planted them at his family home, where they flourished under his care. He was especially proud of a cherry tree, over which he had to do battle with the birds for its fruit and he would share the bounty of his vegetable garden with extended family, friends and neighbors (and some of those same birds).

George felt a special kinship to the offspring of his ancestral namesake, George P. Urban of Buffalo, NY, where his mother was born. He became a family historian and repository of family memorabilia. He was very keen on preserving that heritage for future Urban generations.

He was particularity fond of his family’s ‘next generation’ and doted on his nieces, nephew, and children of cousins. He was always young at heart and loved communicating with them as they grew up. His affection for them was warmly reciprocated, bringing him much joy.

George is survived by his sister, Clare McDermott, her younger daughter Stephanie, and granddaughter Kaitlyn of Heber UT, her older daughter Jennifer Sinclair, her husband Ben and son Lincoln of Stowe VT, sister, Kate Peterkin of Fort Collins CO, brother, Patrick Peterkin, his wife Merrill Collins and son William, of Darien, CT.

A Graveside service will be held on Wednesday, December 20, 2023, at 11:30 a.m. at Spring Grove Cemetery in Darien.