Peter Skowronski

LEWISTON – Peter Skowronski, 78, born July 21, 1947, in Memmingen, Germany, to Helen Enders and Tadeusz Skowronski, passed away peacefully at Rumford Community Home, April 3, 2026, after a short battle with cancer.

After he and his parents immigrated to the United States, Peter grew up in New Jersey and graduated from Passaic High School. He was active in the Boy Scouts. He attended Alfred University after high school, graduated with a B.A. in literature, and later studied for his Secondary Teacher’s Certificate at Montclair Teachers College.

Peter also joined the National Guard, serving for eight years.

In 1975, Peter studied for and received his Primary Teacher’s Certificate at University of Maine in Orono. Peter was a prolific artist, actor and satirist and enjoyed the art of pantomime, even teaching a class at University of Maine.

Peter was married for several years to Suzanne Carlisle, and together they built an off-grid log cabin in East Holden, where they kept goats, horses, chickens and ducks, and lived off the land for almost a decade.

In middle age, Peter migrated to the Lewiston/Auburn area, becoming a regular patron of both the Auburn and Lewiston Public Libraries. Peter was an avid reader and loved to trade books with friends. He was always up for a debate and liked to explore ideas about modern life, climate change, inequality and spirituality.

Peter had an unwavering love of nature and paddled and hiked the local waterways and trails regularly. For the last 15 years, Peter found immense joy in exploring the Androscoggin River. He enjoyed camping in his teepee in a secret local spot, and would camp, sometimes for a few weeks at a time. Peter loved challenging himself to live simply, and off the land when possible, foraging when able, and always appreciating nature’s gifts. He also enjoyed bringing others along to share the natural world while hiking, canoeing, and exploring and appreciating nature at its fullest. His eye was to the future as he planted a wide variety of plants, bushes, and trees wherever he went.

Peter was fascinated by language and combined his artistic prowess with his study of linguistics, semantics and semiotics. He shared his theories and illustrations with anyone curious about his work, and was a natural when it came to passing on his knowledge through lecture and demonstration.

Peter’s ashes will be spread at his teepee site in the coming months.

Please consider donating to the Auburn and Lewiston Public Libraries in Peter’s honor.