Celebration of Peter Donegan's Life

Peter Bartholomew Damien Donegan passed away today, alone in person but not in spirit. He was an extraordinary human being with a huge heart for living. Born on Long Island on August 15, 1963, Peter touched the very souls of all who knew him. He was my friend, as unlikely as that seemed to those who knew we hailed from vastly different backgrounds. He quickly became my brother, and an integral part of my family. My daughter Kelsey adored Peter, having known him as "Uncle Peta" since she was six years old. Her new husband Josh immediately became a favorite of Peter’s, as well.

Peter was a tremendously creative writer of comedy and prose, a wildly gifted musician (with a great collection of vinyl!), and a brilliant technician who could build and/or repair almost anything in the coin gaming and digital photo booth industry. Peter was considerate, unselfish, and honest to a fault. 

I first met Peter 16 years ago, almost to the day, in Manhattan at what would soon become the "WWF-New York" entertainment center in Times Square. (Today the Hard Rock Cafe occupies this 50,000 square foot space) I had just rolled into town on a 6-month contract to head up security on this latest project for Vince McMahon and the World Wrestling Federation, and to liaison with NYPD and FDNY during start-up operations. That's when I was introduced to this short, somewhat "rotund," Irish-Catholic leprechaun of a man working for Apple Amusements and setting up a full-blown arcade in the venue. I believe that both of our lives changed that day as we began a wonderful friendship and developed a strong bond that has lasted nearly two decades. Whodathunk? A street savvy NYC insider who could make deals happen with ease, and a career cop from Vermont of all places who was feeling his way around the Big Apple. What quite frankly started out as a friendship of convenience, quickly turned into one of genuine love and respect!

So, why this campaign?
When Peter passed away he was in treatment for liver failure caused by complications from a chronic viral infection. His doctors wanted him to undergo a transplant procedure as soon as possible, and we actually had a chance to get together last week in the city to discuss his options. To me, this was God-ordained, as I had traveled to NYC from Georgia to see my own orthopedic surgeon and Peter picked me up at JFK. You see, thanks to the unaffordable "Affordable Healthcare Act," Peter lost his health insurance and had spent every penny he had on ridiculously expensive medicine regimens, countless examinations, and treatments before he died. That has left his only remaining siblings unprepared and unable to pay the funeral costs that total nearly $10,000.

It would mean the world to me and to Peter's sister and brother if all of my friends would take a moment to donate to this campaign to help me help Peter receive a proper memorial and burial. ANY AMOUNT IS APPRECIATED.  Peter was never a soldier, a sailor, an airman, a marine, a police officer, a firefighter, a paramedic, a teacher, a nurse, a doctor................ but he touched many lives in those professions around which I have been associated my entire life. Your help will be greatly and very sincerely appreciated.