Maryland, NY - MARYLAND - George Wallace Peck III, educator, potter, and devoted husband, father, and grandfather, died in Phoenix, Arizona on March 12, 2026. He was 83.

George loved his wife of 45 years, Patricia Langan; his three children, Sarah Peck, Jessica Langan-Peck, and Matthew Langan-Peck; two grandchildren, Dani Rose Guidi and Clyde Harte Parish; sons-in-law, Stephen Guidi and Freddy Parish; extended family and many dear friends.

Born on March 10, 1943, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Betsy Parrish Peck and George Wallace Peck II, George spent his childhood exploring in the Uinta Mountains, sparking a love of the wilderness that would last his lifetime. George joined the U.S. Navy, serving aboard the U.S.S. King as an electrician's mate during the Vietnam war. After he was honorably discharged, George made his way east, settling with his family on a former dairy farm in Decatur, where he would make his home for the next 50 years.

Throughout his long career as a beloved teacher in the Cobleskill-Richmondville Central School district, Mr. Peck filled his classrooms with music, hands-on learning, and various wild critters. After retiring, he returned to making pottery, teaching lessons to students of all ages. George had many passions and pursued them with gusto into his eighties. He worked as a docent at Palatki Heritage Site in Sedona, Arizona, where he and Pat lived seasonally. He enjoyed fishing at the lake with his granddaughter Dani Rose, chronicling his life in his journal, hiking, mountain biking, growing vegetables, playing harmonica and guitar, and boating "'til hell wouldn't have it."

When he received a cancer diagnosis in Fall 2025, George faced it with optimism and fortitude. George felt emotions deeply, empathized with others, expressed himself freely, and generously shared his interests. His family will love and miss him always.