Peter Josef Resch
November 8, 1947 — June 3, 2024
Peter Josef Resch
Peter Josef Resch of Bensalem, PA, passed away peacefully at home on June 3, 2024, following a steady decline in health over the previous few years. While his loss was expected, his family is profoundly saddened.
Peter was born on November 8, 1947, in the Bavarian village of Ramsau, nestled in the Alps along the far southeast corner of present-day Germany. He grew up surrounded by family members whose homes were scattered up and down the mountainside. Peter was a mischievous child, often playing pranks with a twinkle in his eye. He was skiing as soon as he could walk, and went on to become a valued member of Alpine ski rescue teams. He enjoyed the outdoor Alpine lifestyle– mountain climbing, skiing to mountain huts, and hanging out with his friends at the Stammtisch. In 1976, he married Nancy Livesay and they had two daughters, Alexandra and Ingrid. He emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1980, eventually becoming a U.S. citizen in 1989.
As a young man, Peter had hoped to become a pilot, but a serious skiing accident closed off that path. He never wavered in his love for airplanes and aviation history though, completing his military service in the German air force, working on aircraft as a hydraulic mechanic. Once in the US, he took every chance he could to attend air shows with children in tow, revisit the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum, or just peek outside his back door when he caught the distinctive sound of an A-10 Warthog flying overhead.
He retired from Princeton University in 2014 after a long career as an HVAC mechanic in the controls shop. Peter had a curious mind and loved the opportunity his position gave him to glimpse the inner workings of research labs as he went about his duties.
He will be remembered by loved ones across the world as a generous and loyal friend whose quirky humor often broke through his occasionally grumpy exterior. They will picture him gracefully weaving down a mountainside on skis that stretched far beyond his own height and optimistically organizing every loose part or broken household item for the day when it surely would become uniquely useful again. They will imagine him roaming the stacks of the Bensalem Public Library, searching for a title he hasn’t yet read, chatting with neighbors outside the Wawa or across the back fence, and tickling the toes of a baby in a shopping cart ahead of him in line.
Peter is survived by his wife Nancy, his daughters Alex Resch and Ingrid (Jack) Manning, grandchildren Gabriel and Celia Manning, sister Ingrid Slotta, brother-in-law Alfred Slotta, nephew Roman Slotta, and numerous cousins, nephews, nieces, and extended family members in both the US and Germany.
A memorial will be planned at a later date. Please contact Ingrid Manning at pjresch.memorial@gmail.com if you would like to be kept informed about plans.
In lieu of flowers or donations, please donate in Peter’s memory to your preferred cause.
Peter was born on November 8, 1947, in the Bavarian village of Ramsau, nestled in the Alps along the far southeast corner of present-day Germany. He grew up surrounded by family members whose homes were scattered up and down the mountainside. Peter was a mischievous child, often playing pranks with a twinkle in his eye. He was skiing as soon as he could walk, and went on to become a valued member of Alpine ski rescue teams. He enjoyed the outdoor Alpine lifestyle– mountain climbing, skiing to mountain huts, and hanging out with his friends at the Stammtisch. In 1976, he married Nancy Livesay and they had two daughters, Alexandra and Ingrid. He emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1980, eventually becoming a U.S. citizen in 1989.
As a young man, Peter had hoped to become a pilot, but a serious skiing accident closed off that path. He never wavered in his love for airplanes and aviation history though, completing his military service in the German air force, working on aircraft as a hydraulic mechanic. Once in the US, he took every chance he could to attend air shows with children in tow, revisit the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum, or just peek outside his back door when he caught the distinctive sound of an A-10 Warthog flying overhead.
He retired from Princeton University in 2014 after a long career as an HVAC mechanic in the controls shop. Peter had a curious mind and loved the opportunity his position gave him to glimpse the inner workings of research labs as he went about his duties.
He will be remembered by loved ones across the world as a generous and loyal friend whose quirky humor often broke through his occasionally grumpy exterior. They will picture him gracefully weaving down a mountainside on skis that stretched far beyond his own height and optimistically organizing every loose part or broken household item for the day when it surely would become uniquely useful again. They will imagine him roaming the stacks of the Bensalem Public Library, searching for a title he hasn’t yet read, chatting with neighbors outside the Wawa or across the back fence, and tickling the toes of a baby in a shopping cart ahead of him in line.
Peter is survived by his wife Nancy, his daughters Alex Resch and Ingrid (Jack) Manning, grandchildren Gabriel and Celia Manning, sister Ingrid Slotta, brother-in-law Alfred Slotta, nephew Roman Slotta, and numerous cousins, nephews, nieces, and extended family members in both the US and Germany.
A memorial will be planned at a later date. Please contact Ingrid Manning at pjresch.memorial@gmail.com if you would like to be kept informed about plans.
In lieu of flowers or donations, please donate in Peter’s memory to your preferred cause.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Peter Josef Resch, please visit our flower store.
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