Peter Mills Dewey
Peter Mills Dewey, November 13, 1955 – March 31, 2025.
“Well, heaven just got a new chef. Great for them, sad for us. Our brother, Peter Mills Dewey passed away March 31, 2025.
“Predeceased by his parents, Maurice and Janet Dewey of Rogers City. He leaves behind six siblings, one, who always wanted to beat him at Scrabble; another, who always wanted to catch a bigger fish; at least three of us who always wanted to be able to concoct a meal as effortlessly as Peter. The scrumptious dishes he put on the table were only surpassed by the kitchen mess he left behind; and all of us, who will miss him terribly, Jane (David), Rory (Caroline), Marianne (Charlie), Judy (Alex), Monica (Gary) and John (Kim); and dozens of nieces and nephews.
“With flaring nostrils and a big, toothy smile, Peter was a storyteller. He had the gift, no matter where he was, of owning the room, regaling us with entertaining, humorous, sometimes preposterous stories perhaps an unreliable narrator? It didn’t matter.
“So, here’s his story (probably not as good as he’d relay): Peter graduated from Walled Lake Western High School in Michigan with honors and was the star football player junior and senior year and a consummate charmer with the girls with his good looks and quick wit. He attended Wayne State University while he worked as a cook and did odd jobs at restaurants until he landed a job at the RMA corporation (Restaurant Marketing Agency) managing financially distressed restaurants, improving operations and marketing with the hopes of a successful turnaround. With his innate business sense, his robust personality, work ethic, and culinary skills, Peter was quite successful.
“So much so, that they sent him to Boston, New Orleans, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Billings, Montana. But, Peter never abandoned his roots, his love of Michigan, and eventually settled in St. Ignace where he worked for decades as the general manager at the Village Inn both on Mackinac Island and St. Ignace and spent time in Florida during the offseason fishing with his
“Peter didn’t follow recipes-his culinary skill was instinctual (a gift from his mother and maternal grandmother). But the ingredients, the shopping list that made him who he was, would read as follows: Humor; Good looks; Athleticism; Wit; Intelligence; Talent; Acerbity… all with a dollop of embellishment and glazed with love. Oh, so much love.
“We will miss you so much, Peter.”
