Peter Carmine Maffei

On Wednesday, April 22, Peter "Pete" C. Maffei, loving husband and father of three, passed away peacefully at age 85 after a brief illness.

A committal service will be held Tuesday, June 8, 2021, at 1 PM at the South Dakota Veterans Cemetery in Sioux Falls, SD with a luncheon to follow.  To get to the Veterans Cemetery from I-90, take the I-229 exit. Go south one mile to make a U-turn and then go north on I-220.  It will become Hwy 125 (476th Ave.). Go approx. 1/2 mile north of I-90 and then turn right (east) on to Slip Up Creek Road. Travel one mile and the Veterans Cemetery is on the left.

Peter was born on August 17, 1934 to Peter L. Maffei and Peggy (Herrman) Maffei in Red Bank, New Jersey.  He joined the Air Force after High School in 1952 and became a fighter pilot.  He served during the Vietnam era and earned a Purple Heart.  After his Military service, he had a 29 year career as a pilot for American Airlines.  He also started a shooting supply company, Precision Reloading.  On June 2, 1982, he married Cynthia Irwin in Stafford Springs, Connecticut.  They spent much of their life in Connecticut, but retired to South Dakota in 2005.

Peter was active in shooting sports, was a passionate Bass angler, and always kept a few fine bird dogs.  He loved the prairie and actively managed his property for wildlife.  He also had one of the best fishing ponds around South Dakota.  Peter pursued a wide range of activities and hobbies… "He never stopped learning."

Peter was preceded in death by his parents, his son Michael, and his father-in-law Charles Irwin.  He is survived by his wife Cindy, his sister Joan Tabb, his South Dakota family- Brian, Katie, Josie, Carmen, and Cynthia Graeb, son Peter Jr and wife Belinda, daughters Kristen (Jack) and Lauren, his son Thomas, his mother-in-law Angie Irwin, and his daughter-in-law Marcy Evans.  He is also survived by sisters-in-law- Peggy (Merlin), Judy (Jeff), Kathy (Doug), Nancy (Dennis), and brother-in-law, Chuck.

Peter will be buried at the National Cemetery in Sioux Falls.  A private family service will be held at a later date.  In lieu of flowers, Peter's family would appreciate donations to the Clark County Ambulance- %Clark County Courthouse, or the Purple Heart Foundation.

The Furness Funeral Home of Clark is serving the family where there is an on-line registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com .