Pete Shelley. Photo courtesy of the Chatham Squire.
CHATHAM – “To Pete!”
A group of six men and women leaned in to the bar at the Chatham Squire and raised their glasses in a toast to Peter J. Shelley, who worked here from 1977 until he passed away two weeks ago at age 60 on Christmas Day. They were among hundreds who packed into the iconic bar to pay tribute and celebrate Pete’s life on a chilly Sunday afternoon in early January.
In the “big, twisted family” of those who worked at the Chatham Squire, Pete Shelley was a unique spirit, according to Jean Needel, who worked with Pete for 25 of the 36 years he worked at the Squire.
“He was a sweet, loving, kind, generous man,” said Needel.
(See slide show below.)
And on Cape Cod, where taverns are the places we gather and friends are those we cherish during the long winters, Pete Shelley was a reliable fixture at the first and a pal for life, which was, not coincidently, the name of a foundation he co-founded to help hospitality workers who had fallen on rough times.
One mourner referred to the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” when she said, “Think about how Pete touched your life.”
Purchase Required
To read the rest of this one Longform story, please purchase access. The price for this one story is $3.00. To access all of our Longform stories, choose a $5.00 monthly membership or a $50.00 yearly membership.
