Obituary of Peter G. Masullo

November 16, 2023

Peter G. Masullo passed away peacefully on November 16 after a brief and ferocious battle with metastatic melanoma. He is survived by his mother, Connie; daughters Lisa, Gina, Valerie and Nicole; grandchildren Mitchell, Miles, Sam and Maya; and brothers Victor, Stephen and Paul. He was 69 years old.

Both a proud son of Greenwich Village and a lover of nature, he divided his time between residences in New York City and New Kingston, New York. Much of his life was filled with such contrasts: He was both an altar boy and a hippie; a fiercely protective father and a proud pacifist; an aspiring yogi and an aficionado of rock music played at maximum volume.

He had a penchant for the underdog, which may help explain why his favorite sports teams were the Giants and the Knicks. He was a lover of animals and a passionate environmentalist who planted thousands of trees throughout his life. His family will remember him most for his offbeat sense of humor and ability to laugh at himself (he often joked that he suffered from “foot in mouth disease”). Each year he sent an irreverent newsletter to his accounting clients, complete with cheeky takes on tax law and even poems (sample stanza from 1998: “twinkle, twinkle Kenneth Starr / who the **** do you think you are?”).

Most people knew Peter as a runner first and foremost. He completed the New York City Marathon 33 years in a row—even, towards the end of his life, despite worsening arthritis. His signature stubbornness and grit were on full display as he grimaced through the five boroughs of his beloved city each Marathon Sunday. He met many friends through his running group, the Harriers; and often volunteered as an Achilles guide for runners with disabilities.

Appropriately enough, he started his career as a runner on Wall Street—rushing documents from one building to another between undergraduate classes at Pace University. He then put himself through New York Law School before starting his accounting practice in a Carmine Street storefront in 1976. As fax and email communication became more common, he was able to work from home while spending time with his growing family—and, in 1987, fulfilled a lifelong dream by moving to a historic farmhouse tucked amongst the Catskill Mountains.

Through his word and example, Peter taught his four daughters the value of forging their own path through hard work, independence and a firm refusal of society’s expectations. He could often be seen running trail races with his daughters or grandson; shoveling snow with his beloved dog, Rosie; or exploring vegan restaurants throughout New York City with his daughter, Val—who inspired him to become vegan in 2017. He loved to work on his expansive garden for hours on end, and could live off the fruits of his labor during the peak of summer. He painstakingly gathered sap for maple syrup and cooked hundreds of jars of “Masullo’s jams” each summer and gifted them to family, friends, clients and old friends “from the neighborhood.”

In lieu of flowers, please consider planting a tree in Peter’s honor or donating in his name to Achilles International: https://give.achillesinternational.org/campaign/in-memory-of-peter-g-masullo/c538711

Funeral Services