Peter Radford Rossmassler (87) of Hatfield, MA and Grindstone Island, Clayton, NY died peacefully at Home on the 16th of October 2019. Born in Philadelphia in 1931, his family moved to Princeton, NJ in l932. He was the son of William Ryle Rossmassler and Eleanor Radford Rossmassler. He graduated from Princeton Country Day School, Phillips Exeter Academy and Princeton University, Class of 1954 with a degree in English and was a member of Charter Club. After a year of graduate work at Columbia University, he was drafted and served in the Army. Peter married Frances Branch Scott in 1962 and lived in New York City until they moved to Princeton in 1965 after the birth of their first child. In 2009 they moved to Pennswood Village in Newtown, PA from Princeton and then Peter moved to Hatfield, MA in 2018 after the passing of his wife Frances in 2015.
Peter spent summers in the 1000 Islands in the St. Lawrence River on Grindstone Island ever since he was nine months old. The camp has been in the family since 1895 and he calls it heaven.
He was an Investment Banker and Venture Capitalist for 16 years at Hayden Stone Inc. in New York. Later, he formed Princeton Montrose Partners a venture capital group focused on groundbreaking agricultural and renewable energy advances. Lastly, he had his own consulting business, Grindstone Associates, which assisted small companies with valuation and strategic planning.
He served on the Boards of Trinity – All Saints Nursery School, Princeton Day School, Princeton Area Community Foundation and SAVE, A Friend to Homeless Animals. He also served on the Board of Grindstone Island Research & Heritage Center raising funds for programs and scholarships for island children. He was a member of the Nassau Club and attended Trinity Church.
He is survived by three sons, William R. Rossmassler, III and his wife, Wendy, of Middlesex, VT. , Thomas B. S. Rossmassler and his wife, Sarah, of Hatfield, MA. , Richard R. Rossmassler and his wife Julia of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and five grandchildren, Colby, Louisa, Branch, Tae, and Eva. His wife, Frances Branch Scott, of over 50 years, and two brothers, Richard Rossmassler and William R. Rossmassler Jr. predeceased him.
Services are private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to SAVE, A Friend to Homeless Animals, 900 Herrontown Rd., Princeton, NJ 08540; Phillips Exeter Academy for the Richard Rossmassler Memorial Fund, 20 Main St., Exeter, NH 03833; Save The River, 409 Riverside Drive, Clayton, NY 13624; Grindstone Island Research & Heritage Center, PO Box 95, Clayton, NY 13624.
Peter spent the last 10+ years of his life coping with dementia and throughout and right up to the end he was still the kindest, most polite, and patient person we have ever known. He did not like needing help but always accepted it with grace and warmth. His life and his inspirational character will be dearly missed.