Peter John Smilikis, 82, of Nashua, passed away Tuesday afternoon, December 8, 2020 at Catholic Medical Center in Manchester.
Born in Nashua on January 13, 1938, he was a son of the late Alphonse and Amelia (Balukevich) Smilikis. Peter grew up in Hudson, NH and was a graduate of Alvirne High School, Class of 1956. He graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 1960 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics. During his years at UNH, he played on and captained the Wildcats basketball team. In 1996 he was inducted into the UNH Hall of Fame for his record-breaking play and continues to hold records for number of rebounds in a single game, rebounds in a single season and single season rebounding average. After graduation, Peter served 4 years in the Army and resigned as a Captain to relocate and raise his family. Peter’s computer career started in Cambridge, MA after leaving the service. He spent many years commuting to Boston which continued throughout his career and finally took him to clients and banking institutions throughout Eastern Massachusetts.
Family was everything to Peter, and his greatest passion beyond family was basketball. His vacations were spent taking his kids to college, road trips to the Midwest for football games and volunteering for many summers at the Chris Ford, formerly Wayne Embry, Basketball Camp at Daniel Webster College. His love for his wife, his kids, grandkids, brothers, brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews and many friends was beyond measure. You could always find him holding a grandchild in his huge hands or putting them in a car to head to the Big One for an ice cream cone. He was extremely humble and grateful for his life. When asked, “How are you doing, Dad?” he always responded with “I can’t complain.”. When his children were young, Peter loved coaching for Nashua Biddy League basketball. His love for coaching continued in his later years for the Bishop Guertin Junior Varsity High School team. While coaching, he was dedicated to instilling the importance of academic excellence while being a student athlete.
He is survived by his beloved wife of 60 years, Susan Elizabeth (Lister) Smilikis and their six children; James Smilikis and his wife Mary Pat, Peter J. Smilikis Jr., Anne Smilikis, Robert Smilikis, Katherine (Smilikis) Prout and her husband Ed, and Margaret (Smilikis) Freedman and her husband Pete; nine grandchildren, Megan and John Smilikis, Sarah, Maya and Molly Freedman, Jack and Max Prout, and Anya and Andrew Bayazitov; two brothers, William Smilikis and his wife Pat, and the late Michael Smilikis, who passed away in 2005; as well as many loved nieces, nephews and cousins.
Due to the current pandemic, private services will be held for his family. Arrangements are in the care of the FARWELL FUNERAL SERVICE, 18 Lock Street, Nashua. www.farwellfuneralservice.com
