In fond remembrance of Peter Spaulding

Spaulding

Recently, we lost one of the great ones, Peter Spaulding, longtime Shepherdstown resident, landscaper and landscape designer for dozens of clients in the area. He is survived by his sister, Pat Spaulding. Pete was 71. Here are a few thoughts about my friend. Please go to petespaulding.org to share your own.

The planet without Pete is a dimmer place. Pete was my great friend, as he was to so many other people.

Pete was a hard worker. He was thoughtful and reflective. He was wise, smart, well-read and a history expert. He was loyal and generous.

Pete’s years of landscaping and landscape design dot Shepherdstown and Jefferson County with beautifully crafted works, and somewhat farther afield, a raised bed, rock garden and a row of boxwoods along a path at the home my wife and I recently left behind in south-central Pennsylvania.

Pete was very proud of his work — old-school craftsmanship and beauty, often subtly inspired by the Japanese Zen gardens he loved. He had an eye for line and flow, applying those skills with practicality and efficiency. If I had a map of the places where Pete left his landscaping mark, I’d try to visit them all and glimpse my dear friend within.

Pete was the best of what men can be, should be. There was no pretension with Pete. He was as he appeared — a man walking the earth, finding joy regarding the human condition even as he decried its failings. Pete was authentic and one of a kind.

Together, we discussed our shared love and enthusiasm for astronomy, physics, cosmology, philosophy, spirituality, literature, poetry and reading. I have great memories of time spent with my dear friend, philosophizing along the river bottom of the Potomac. I can see him in my mind’s eye amidst the green, light and shimmer of that glade.

How do we meet people? How did I end up in Shepherdstown, eventually renting a cabin from Henry Shepherd at Belle Vue, where I met my dearest friend? I was plain lucky. Pete and I were, in many ways, peas in a pod. We spoke the same language, though he was the one who really planted those seeds; meaning, he helped me develop that language as my mentor, guru and wise old guy. I’m struggling to say goodbye to my friend. So instead, I’m working on seeing him all around me, permeating the world and universe, even as I feel him within my own soul. Pete taught me well.

To share your thoughts and remembrances about Pete Spaulding, please visit petespaulding.org.

A Celebration for Peter Spaulding will be held on June 18, at 10 a.m. The address is 3801 Shepherd Grade Road, Shepherdstown, WV. This will be an outdoor rain or shine event.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Arthritis Foundation (https://www.arthritis.org/donate?utm_content=brand&gclid=cj0kcqjwsditbhd5arisaipw8cl3fmh8d1nsburfoznfjdmpf7u5t8scpgh2oosoh3kjpfuaulqa7_kaag_yealw_wcb and/or the Shepherdstown Volunteer Fire Department (https://shepherdstownfiredepartment.com/).