Lee Peckenpaugh

Lee Peckenpaugh of Trumansburg, NY passed away unexpectedly of heart failure on March 7, 2022. Lee was born on December 15, 1958 in Queens, NY, the son of Jean and Normand Peckenpaugh. He is survived by his father, brother Alan and sister Jayne. To have known Lee is to have laughed with him.

A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, he was a lifelong foodie and left his mark on a number of dining halls as an Executive Chef at Colgate and Cornell Universities. While he was recognized with many awards for his management skills, he was far more proud of the popularity of his creative food combinations amongst students.

Lee never failed to find new hobbies and interests throughout his lifetime. He followed Formula 1 Grand Prix racing, researched family genealogy and WWII history, was an avid builder of model cars and airplanes, cycled long distances both on road and early mountain bikes, traveled, took up photography, and enjoyed renting/driving luxury cars. You could be assured that he’d bring out all of that acquired knowledge to dominate a trivia match.

Ever the jokester, he was always looking for an angle or something crazy to do: whether riding every rollercoaster east of the Mississippi in a single summer, driving to Florida for a glass of OJ, or eating seafood in all six New England states within 24 hours. Lee filled rooms with laughter. Remote controlled whoopie cushions, bird videos for the cats, dressing as Santa after excusing himself from the Christmas dinner table, picking up his nephew from elementary school in the baddest Mustang he could rent for a day, or playing “Helium Man” on a local radio show – Lee had creativity, personality, and humor which easily gained him new friends throughout his lifetime.

He will be sorely missed by friends and family alike.

We gather to remember Lee in May at a time and place to be announced at a later date.