Peter Bumpus 1943-2026

On January 10, 2026, at his home in Plainfield, MA, Peter Bumpus met death in much the same way he lived his life: with courage and inner strength.

Born in Boston, September 7, 1943 to Amy Virginia Nelson, Peter was adopted as an infant by Dean and Katherine (Miner) Bumpus and raised in Woods Hole. He graduated from Tabor Academy in 1961 and Marlboro College in 1965.

Peter’s love for adventure and the outdoors was evident from an early age. With his father he summited Mount Katahdin as a seven-year-old. As a youngster he frequently sailed the waters of Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay on his own. One notable adventure found ten-year-old Peter spending a night at the Seamen’s Bethel in Vineyard Haven because the weather turned bad and he couldn’t get back to the mainland. As a young man he shared his love of boats by teaching sailing at the Woods Hole Yacht Club. Later, he started the Eel Pond Sailing School with Barbara Garrey.

After college Peter started his career in marine construction back in Woods Hole when he went to work for DW Clark. With the Clark crew he was part of building Lulu, the first ship WHOI used to carry the ALVIN. He worked as a pile driver and superintendent on large dock building projects throughout New England including in Gloucester and on Nantucket. He founded his own company, Eel Pond Forge and Welding Works. He also worked for AGM Marine Construction and Cianbro Corporation. During his career work took him across the country from Maine to Alaska doing marine construction and as a senior certified welding inspector.

Throughout his life Peter built many boats from a wooden skiff built in a single day to win a bet with his first father-in-law to the Black Seal, a 72-foot steel schooner built in Hatchville that took decades to complete. He built two fishing draggers — the Ann Marie and the John & Felicia — in Lester Bourne’s sandpit in West Falmouth; the tug Corvus built on Martha’s Vineyard; and numerous small push boats.

Peter’s curiosity and creativity knew no bounds. In the 1980’s he took up ballet and modern dance, performing with Heather Shepley’s amateur troupe. This endeavor brought him great joy, then, and for the rest of his life.

Peter enjoyed walking, hiking, and biking trails in the northeast and well beyond. He hiked canal and rail paths and camped along them. Some of these were solitary adventures, but many included his family. Canoe trips with his children, grandchildren and others were a regular occurrence for 20 years. He walked the Camino de Santiago across Spain four times, including once with a granddaughter. He loved his time on the Camino in large part because of the people he met. He made these connections easily because he was fluent in Spanish and spoke passable Galician along with reading several other languages.

Later in life Peter searched for and found members of his biological family, meeting his birth mother and building lasting relationships with siblings and other family members.

Peter was predeceased by his brother Jim (Heidi) Hale, Lynwood WA. He is survived by his wife Judi Gyovai, Plainfield; his brother in spirt Tom (Ann) Renshaw, Woods Hole; his siblings Mike (Jean) Hale, Taunton, Martha Cassie, East Falmouth, and Storme O’Keefe, Nashville TN; his children and stepchildren Tom Reed, Doylestown, PA, Heidi Smith, Bourne, Matthew (Catherine) Bumpus, Woods Hole, Ariadne (Travis) Hamilton, Seattle WA, Christine (Reed) Gyovai, Charlottesville VA, Joe Gyovai, Taos NM, Hannah (Alexander) Gyovai, Northampton; 14 grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

A remembrance of his life will be held at a later date.

Williamsburg Funeral Home in Haydenville has been entrusted with his care.