Peter John Gorman

Peter John Gorman

January 17, 1958 - April 04, 2007

Peter John Gorman

January 17, 1958 - April 04, 2007

Obituary

Orange County Senior Executive Loses Battle with Melanoma

Peter John Gorman died on April 4th at home, surrounded by friends and family after a long and valiant battle with cancer.

At the time of his death, Peter was a Senior Vice President for Wachovia Bank formerly WFS Financial managing their entire retail collection operations. Peter was an innovator in the application of technology and metrics to the collection process and was a frequent speaker at conferences on this topic. Peter will be best remembered for his mentoring and people development skills. He was very skilled at applying technology to help develop the skills of his associates’. Peter began his career in collections at Bank of New York in Buffalo, New York and worked his way up to his current job with progressively more responsible roles.

Peter’s career was not his only focus giving of his time and money generously to various local charities and organization including St Joseph’s hospital and the San Diego zoo. Peter’s lifelong love of animals drove his involvement in the zoo. As a young boy he often brought home stray dogs and begged his mother to feed them – once filling the family car parked in the driveway with several dogs and sneaking food out to them.

Peter, a devout Catholic, was an active member of St. John Neumann in Irvine. His devotion began in childhood while visiting Saint Anne de Baupres in Quebec he knelt and prayed with his grandmother on every step leading up to the cathedral. Peter also was an altar boy at St. Andrew’s in Tonawanda, New York.

Peter, a lifelong New York Yankee fan, had the opportunity to meet many former Yankee’s during his life with a conversation with Bobby Murcer being among his favorites. Peter had tickets to opening day in Yankee stadium, a Christmas gift from his brothers and sisters which he could not attend.

A gifted athlete himself, Peter played several varsity sports in high school and was always coaching his nephews and nieces on the finer points of basketball and baseball.

Peter loved to travel. It was in fact his love of adventure that caused him to move first to Chicago and then to southern California. Peter and his family took an extended trip around the Ring of Kerry in Ireland where all the good Irish whiskey was sampled. Peter also visited Lourdes while vacationing in Paris. Peter traveled far and wide and always enjoyed good food and wine. One could say that Peter’s motto for life was ?Live well, love much and laugh often?.

Peter took a very active role in the lives of his many nephews and nieces attending all of their important life milestones. He loved introducing them to sports in general but to the Yankees specifically.

Peter is survived by his wife Laura and sisters Diane Braunscheidel and Suzanne Walters and brothers Patrick and Paul as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Visitations, Monday – 4/9/07 from 7:00pm to 9:00pm and Tuesday – 4/10/07, from 7:00pm to 9:00pm at O’Connor Mortuary, 25301 Alicia Pkwy., Laguna Hills, CA 92653. Funeral Mass, Wednesday – 4/11/07, 10:00am, at St. John Neumann Catholic Church, 5101 Alton Pkwy., Irvine, CA 92714.

O’Connor Mortuary Directors, 949 581-4300, www.oconnormortuary.com

Donations in Peter John Gorman’s honor may be made to anyone of the following:

St. Joseph’s Health System – Hospice in Loving Memory of Peter John Gorman
1845 W. Orangewood Ave, Suite 100A
Orange, CA 92868

St. Joseph’s Foundation – Melanoma Research in Loving Memory of Peter John Gorman
1100 West Stewart Drive
Orange, CA 92868

UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center in Loving Memory of Peter John Gorman
The V Foundation-Gil Nickel Fellowship in Melanoma Research
8-950 Factor Building
Box 951780
Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1780

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16 responses to Peter John Gorman

  1. Our buddy will be missed.

  2. To the Gorman Family,

    We were very sorry to hear about Peter’s death. Elena and I extend our deepest sympathies and prayers for Peter and his family. We will all miss him.

    Paul

  3. We loved Peter, and we will miss him. Last Christmas he visited Buffalo with Laura, and I am so glad that he made this trip. We all had a good visit with him and I will remember him in his beautiful sweater sharing the day with the Johnson family.

  4. The world lost a great human being and I lost a valued friend. His courage in the face of adversity should act as a lesson in living for all of us. His smile, his pervasive optimism, and his enthusiastic greeting each time we met will be missed…but never forgotten.

    Stuart Angert
    President & CEO Retired
    Remarketing Services of America, Inc.
    Amherst, NY

  5. Dear Pat & the entire Gorman Family:

    My deepest sympathy at this difficult time. I was shocked and very saddened when I received the news. My thoughts and prayers are with you all and I will always hold fond memories of the friendship Peter and I had.

    Kevin

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