Peter Mafteiu

Peter Mafteiu
April 17, 1919 - February 12, 2020

Peter Mafteiu beloved father of three children, and proud grandpa of five grandchildren and seven great grandchildren, passed away on Wednesday February 12, 2020 at the age of 100. He felt very fortunate to have loved two woman in his life. He married Lucy, while he was in the service, and had two daughters, Cathy and Debbie, and one son, Peter. Lucy passed away when his three children were young and he had to raise them by himself. Later in life he married Bonnie, and they enjoyed playing golf, traveling, and going out to dinner.

He joined the Air Force during WW2, and was a critical member of a team that designed, manufactured, and installed the first airborne radar. After the war, his colonel called on him again to be on a team to develop a commercial tape recorder for the entertainment industry. His skills as a machinist led him to work for the government at the Detroit Arsenal manufacturing tanks and other vehicles. He continued to advance at work, and retired in 1976 as the head of quality control, responsible for all incoming, in process, and final inspection.

At an early age Peter developed a love for motorcycles and airplanes. His first motorcycle was a 1937 Harley knucklehead. Later he owned a 1958 Harley, that he road over 100,000 miles. When he was young he walked miles to a local airport, so he could sit at the end of the runway, to watch and to feel airplanes taking off. His passion for airplanes, resulted in building radio controlled airplanes that he would build from scratch and fly. After he retired from work he decided to learn to fly full size airplanes, and at the age of 60 he obtained his pilots license. Peter had a limitless number of motorcycle and flying stories, that he enjoyed sharing with family and friends. His passion for these hobbies was obvious, as you listened to him vividly relive his experiences.

Peter will be tremendously missed by his family and his friends, but we will always have our memories of him, photos, and his stories to help us feel close to him.

We love you Peter!!!

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