SOUTH PARIS – Peter A. Cummings, 73, died at his home on March 17, 2019. He was the eldest son of Konsto and Lillian Cummings and grew up on the family farm in South Paris.

A graduate of the second class of Oxford Hills High School, he received a Master’s Degree in forestry from the University of Maine. During the summers of his college years, he worked as a ranger at Baxter State Park, an area he loved deeply.

In 1968, he enlisted in the Navy and successfully completed the flight program as a 1st Lt. Because of the time he spent in Norfolk, Va., he decided to settle in near-by Virginia Beach, where he started his own crop-dusting business. For many years he was the president of the Virginia Crop Dusters’ Association and often wrote articles for the crop dusters’ publications. Between growing seasons in the south, he often flew home, giving his mother many “heart attacks” as he buzzed the farm, signaling that he wanted to be picked up at the small air field in Oxford.

Pete thrived in the outdoors. He measured the seasons as fishing, golf/tennis, hunting and skiing. After retirement, he moved back to South Paris to pursue these interests in earnest. However, in 1999 he had a tragic accident which left him a paraplegic. With the help of adaptive equipment, he slowly regained independence so that he was able to drive, mow, and ride a four-wheeler over the hilly fields and into the woods. He even hunted and fished again and participated in caring for and harvesting his blueberry fields. Pete never complained about his handicapping condition and simply accepted it for what it was.

Kathy Matson, a former Oxford Hills and U Maine classmate, reentered his life shortly after his accident. They married in 2002 and had a number of happy years together raising a pup, doing challenging crossword puzzles and going for rides.

Pete had a twinkle in his eye and a subtle sense of humor. He played with words and wrote a number of farcical vignettes about a fictitious Finnish-American character, Howard Hiino.

Perhaps Pete’s favorite pastime was attending his nephews’ baseball games. On the sidelines in his wheelchair, he was an unmistakable fixture. The fact that ”his boys” were good players made the games especially fun. When not watching games, he simply enjoyed the nieces’ and nephews’ visits.

Blessed with a good memory and a keen mathematical mind, Pete loved to play bridge and joined the local bridge group. He played to win and earned a reputation as a formidable opponent.

He was predeceased by his wife Kathy in 2016.

Peter is survived by three sisters, Sarah Cummings and her husband Scott Thurston of West Paris, Christina Ward and her husband Allan of North Monmouth, and Rebecca Cummings of South Paris; three brothers, Stephen Cummings and his wife Lori of South Paris, Timothy Cummings of Greeneville, Tenn. and Joel Cummings of Lewiston; numerous nieces and nephews and their children. He is also survived by an aunt, Eva Heikkinen of South Paris, with whom he had a special bond.

At Peter’s request, there will be no memorial service. The family will scatter his ashes later in the spring.

Those wishing to honor his memory can do a good deed for someone or contribute to a worthwhile cause

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