John Peter Gerard Kehoe, age 79, of Chadds Ford, PA, passed away June 2, 2023, after a brief stay in hospital.
Born in Salford, England to Eileen (O’Shea) and John Gerard “Gerry” Kehoe, Peter excelled in academics and athletics at his beloved boarding school in Ireland, the Cistercian College of Roscrea. Peter married his first and only love, Biddy 57 years ago. He met her at age 16 in their hometown of Tralee, Ireland, thanks to an introduction planned by their siblings Kerry and Sarah who foresaw their connection. Peter lost her but once, due to his failure to write enough letters while both attended boarding school. But once they had both returned to Tralee, he made sure he didn’t lose her for long, as he followed her until she took him back.
After earning his undergraduate degree from University College Dublin, Peter pursued advanced degrees in chemical engineering at UCD and across the Atlantic at Yale University, where he and Biddy started their family. During the birth of their first child (Breffni), Peter and the obstetrician discovered they had both attended Roscrea, and fell quickly into a discussion of their memories, much to the frustration of the woman in labor. Despite this somewhat ill-timed meeting, Peter and Biddy would become good friends with Dr. Noel McCarthy, who also delivered their second child, Cormac.
After the birth of his first two sons, Peter and Biddy recrossed the Atlantic, where Peter pursued post doctoral work at UCD and Cambridge University , and welcomed a third son, Lochlann. Shortly thereafter, Peter moved his young family to the United States to work for DuPont in 1973. In 1977, Biddy and Peter welcomed their daughter Ciara to their family.
Peter’s career at DuPont spanned 35+ years, starting as a laboratory manager and ending as a managing director, with posts in Wilmington, DE, Wilmington, NC, Richmond, VA before returning to the Wilmington DE area, settling in Chadds Ford, PA in the 1980s. His career featured large amounts of travel abroad, including a stint living in Harrogate.
Peter was an avid rugby player, playing into his 40s before transitioning to play soccer to save his remaining teeth. He instilled a deep love for soccer in his entire family and coached both girls and boys teams. Peter played in three Munster Junior Cups in his youth and as an adult helped build the men’s and women’s rugby clubs at University of Delaware as coach of the women’s side and player-coach for the men’s side in the 1970s.
Ever the story teller, Peter often brought the dinner table to tears of laughter with childhood tales of the Nigerian Sultan of Sokoto, being descended from the Prince of Iveragh, and tobacco trucks in Tralee. Neither a conversation nor a glass ever went empty with him.
Peter is survived by his wife of 56 years, Brigid “Biddy” (Horgan) Kehoe, his children John Breffni (Vince), Cormac, Lochlann (Eileen), and Ciara, as well as his grandchildren Declan, Brody, Finn, Chloe, Liam, and Madeleine. Peter is also survived by his younger brother and lifelong partner in mischief Patrick William Kerry Kehoe.
RIP Peter, and don’t forget to dance.
Celebration of life mass will be held on Friday, June 9, 2023 11 am, with reception to follow at St. Joseph’s on the Brandywine – 10 Old Church Road, Wilmington, DE 19807
In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to Peter’s beloved boarding school, the Cistercian College of Roscrea. https://gofund.me/6c2a5d9f
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