Herbert Dean Peckham

Herbert Dean Peckham of Sparks, Nevada died 12/1/21 in the home he shared with his wife Eileen, surrounded by the love and support of his family. He was 91.

He was born in Villisca, Iowa on December 16th, 1929, to parents Howard DeWayne Peckham and Alice (Wright) Peckham. The family moved from Villisca, Iowa to Swisshome, Oregon in 1942, where he attended elementary and high school in neighboring Mapleton. He graduated from Mapleton High School in 1948. He was nominated to attend the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where he graduated in 1953 with a Bachelor's in Mathematics.

After graduation and Basic Officers Training at Ft. Bliss, El Paso, Texas, he spent two years at a Nike air defense missile site at Ft. Meade, Maryland. There, he met his first wife Ann Austin, and they married in December 1954 in Laurel, Maryland. Shortly after, he and his wife moved to Carmel, California where he attended the Naval Postgraduate School, graduating with a Master's in Physics in 1957. He then served three years at the Army Defense School as a Nuclear Weapons Instructor at Ft. Bliss. While there, their first child Susan Elizabeth was born on September 10th, 1959. In his last year in the Army, he served overseas active duty at Thule Air Base in Greenland.

Captain Herbert D. Peckham, Artillery, was honorably discharged on July 17th, 1961, to pursue his Physics Ph.D. He moved his family from El Paso to Berkeley, California in September of 1961. While in Berkeley, their second child Mark Howard was born on July 4th, 1962.

After completing one year of his Ph.D. studies, he decided to leave the university to seek out a teaching position at a California college. He found a job at San Benito Junior College, then consisting of two rooms at the Hollister airport. The college later relocated to Gilroy and renamed Gavilan Community College. He moved his family to Hollister, and then to Gilroy where he helped the small educational institution blossom into the college it is today. The family settled in Gilroy in 1963 and, while there, their third child Lisa Ann was born on July 30th, 1965.

He taught Physics and Mathematics at San Benito College/Gavilan College from 1962 to 1981, also serving on the Gavilan Board of Trustees for many years, ultimately serving as President of the Board. His wife Ann died in January 1997. He met second wife Eileen (Gorrell) Silverman in August 1998, and they married January 23rd, 1999, in Denver, Colorado, settling in Gilroy. In 2000, he and Eileen moved to Auburn, California, where he volunteered for many years as docent at the Auburn Gold Rush History Museum. They moved to Sparks, Nevada in December of 2017 in their twilight years, needing to be closer to family.

He is survived by his wife of 22 years Eileen, Eileen's extended family, brother and wife John and Patricia Peckham, daughter and husband Susan and Bernie Horstkamp, granddaughters Sarah Roth and Lauren, son and wife Mark and Kathy Peckham, grandson and granddaughter Lukas and Michelle, daughter Lisa Moore, ex-husband Kevin Moore, granddaughters Erica Gregg and husband Dustin, Jenna Judd and husband Cody, grandson Tyler, and dearest friends Sue and Lud Oliviera. He is predeceased by first wife Ann, and older brothers Robert DeWayne and William Tremaine. He was cremated per his wishes. A celebration of his life is pending and will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers or cards, do something you enjoy, think of him and raise a glass. He would love that!

Published in Gilroy Dispatch · December 31, 2021