Peter Simon Halpern

Peter (Pete) Simon Halpern, a longtime resident of New Mexico, died Tuesday, June 12, 2018 at the El Paso Hospital of Providence, at the age of 83, surrounded by his children. Peter's home was in Anthony, NM where he was retired for many years. Peter was born on April 17, 1935 in Kingston, New York. His parents were Sigmund and Blanche Halpern. He had one brother, Walter, who predeceased him at the age of 63. As a youth, Peter attended Carson Long Military Institute for a number of years. He was a graduate of Margaretville Central High School in 1953, located in the Catskill Mountains in New York State. He also attended Pennsylvania State University. Peter was married to Diana E. Collins on September 1, 1956. The Halpern family, who arrived in Margaretville in about 1895, had established clothing stores in both Fleischmanns and Margaretville, as well as later developing the Halpern (plumbing) Supply Company in Margaretville. Peter and his family moved to Mesilla Park, NM in 1976 where he worked at different commercial hardware and building supply jobs. Peter was a member of the Margaretville Masons and enjoyed participation in that group for about 20 years. During that time he became a Grand Master and a Shriner. He was also an avid bowler, known to his league members as "Pete". He belonged to both a Las Cruces and El Paso league, bowling twice a week. He attended the USBC National tournaments held across the country, for 37 years. He also participated in an International league, where he bowled in Mexico annually. Peter was fascinated with history, with special focus on Civil War history and archeology. He read countless books and magazines on these subjects. He worked on crossword puzzles as often as time would allow, usually preferring the NY Times version. While working on his puzzles, he was nearly always accompanied on the couch by his pet Chihuahua, "Ginger", a dog he loved dearly and lost a couple of years ago. Peter was also a dedicated sports fan, completely devoted to the NY Yankees and the NY Giants, although he also enjoyed watching many other sports such as golf, tennis, and the Olympics. Peter is survived by three children; Michael, 60, of Anthony, NM, who graduated with an Evolutionary Biology Baccalaureate degree and an A.A. degree in Business Administration. He is also a certified teacher in Texas; Jane, 59, of Baltimore, Maryland, a retired Social Security Administration (SSA) employee with 29 years of service, and her husband, Robert Myers, 60, currently an SSA employee; Daniel, 58, of Atlanta, Georgia and his wife Tracy; a grandson, Matthew, 32, of Duluth, Georgia, his wife Sharon, 32, a trained teacher who stays home with two sons, Pete's great grandchildren, Grant, 4, and Andrew, 2, whom Peter adored. Peter was predeceased by his wife Diana, 71, in February 2009; a son, David, 45, in October 2009; and a granddaughter, Kelley, 17, in April 2005.