Peter Francis Wyatt, age 77, of West Boylston, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, January 24th at the Oakdale Nursing Center. His death was related to Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and Lewy Body Disease, illnesses that he quietly fought over his last seven years.

Peter is survived by his wife of 42 years, Barbara (Nowak) Wyatt; son Bradford Wyatt and wife Duffie of Boylston, MA; daughter Dr. Carrie McAdams and husband Shaun of Plano, TX; son Zachary Wyatt of McLean, VA; grandchildren Bradford and Hannah Wyatt, and Sage, Jade, Drake, and Pierce McAdams.

Peter was born on January 19th, 1935 in the Richmond Borough of New York City. Peter was raised by the nuns at Brightside Orphanage in Springfield, MA; at age 13 he moved to Spencer to live with his maternal grandfather, Peter LaPlante, and aunts, Ida, Leonie, and Anna LaPlante. Peter held several jobs as a teenager; he worked at a five-and-dime store, a shoe factory, and even a bowling alley where he manually set up the pins. Peter graduated from St. Mary’s School and received his GED without attending high school – as he liked to say, “I never dropped out because I never dropped in.” At 18, Peter enlisted in the United States Air Force and served as a radio operator during the Korean War. After the Air Force, Peter returned to Worcester and graduated from the New England School of Accounting in 1959.

In 1964, Peter used a personal loan to co-found New England Diamond (N-E-D) Corporation; he worked there for the rest of his career, retiring as President in 2005. Peter helped build N-E-D into one of the largest privately-owned American manufacturers of diamond tools, with over 100 employees and six service centers across the United States. He was always proud to put “Made RIGHT in USA” flag labels on Worcester-manufactured products. He held a patent for a “high-pressure, robotic water-jet stone cutting method” and was closely involved in the stone industry, serving as a member of Allied Stone Institute and the North America Monument Builders Association, as well as a Past-President of Stone Expo Association.

Within the community, Peter was a member of the Worcester Rotary Club for 38 years, an elected selectmen for the town of West Boylston from 1990 to 1993, a member of the Sodality of Our Lady at Holy Cross College, a trustee of the Pope John Paul II Cultural Foundation, and a long-time supporter of the Salvation Army; he rang the bell by the red kettle every Christmas for many years.

Peter and Barbara were married at St. Christopher’s Church on June 21st, 1969. Shortly after, they moved to West Boylston, where they raised their three children in the same home they purchased as newlyweds. Peter enjoyed traveling and saw the world with his family. He also enjoyed swimming laps in the morning and taught his children and grandchildren how to swim. His family, friends, and co-workers will miss his quick sense of humor, thoughtfulness, honesty, and generosity.

Calling hours will be held from 4pm to 7pm, Friday, January 27th at the Rice Funeral Home, 300 Park Ave, Worcester. A funeral Mass will be held at 9:30 am, Saturday, January 28th at Our Lady of Good Counsel, 111 Worcester St, West Boylston. Burial will follow at Worcester County Memorial Park in Paxton.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Salvation Army at 640 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01608 or the Be-Like-Brit Foundation, which is building an orphanage in Haiti, Britney Gengel’s Poorest of Poor Fund, Inc, PO Box 355, Rutland, MA 01543.