When Pete was 9 years old, his family moved from Seymour to downtown Shelton, he joined the Boys Club on October 17, 1957 and registered for school on October 19, 1957.
He participated in virtually every activity from Billy Onion Stories on Saturday mornings, cooking, and boxing, to woodshop and ceramics.
Pete also played on the travel basketball teams, and the travel ping pong team which was undefeated.
The director of the Boys club at that time, Charlie Gardner, was virtually a father image to Pete.
Pete and Charlie would keep track of ping pong matches won between them, and that meant a lot to Pete.
Staff member Joe Petrunik was also another important role model to Pete.
Pete believes that there was no one closer to Joe than himself. Every day he would send Pete to J Diner to get him a coffee light and sweet and a piece of lemon meringue pie.
Since Joe did not drive, Pete would take him anywhere he needed to go.
Pete loved every activity the club had.
In 1962 he thought he would win Boy of the Year, but instead Jack Ribas won, and Pete was devastated.
However, 1963 was Pete’s year, he won Boy of the Year and it was the proudest day of his life. Pete put his accomplishment on every resume he wrote and to his surprise every interviewer has asked him about it.
Pete started his career with the Boys and Girls Club, when he worked behind the counter for two years selling candy and chips, and handing out pool sticks or ping pong paddles.
To Pete the Boys Club was the greatest place in the world; he would spend every minute that he could there.
He feels it made him the best person that he could be.
Pete volunteered there for more years than he can remember, and during all of that time he never found a kid that he did not like.
Pete used the gamesroom and specifically, ping pong, to teach children skills, discipline, respect and responsibility.
Not only was Pete a championship player, he has coached the best players our Boys and Girls Club have had.
His dedication and commitment to the children is exceptional.
He thinks nothing of traveling to New Jersey or Massachusetts so his players can play the best competition outside the Valley.
During the last two years, Pete has revived the Boys and Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley’s table tennis program and started the Lower Naugatuck Valley Table Tennis Club, which is currently one of the best programs in the Northeast.
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