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<em>Peter Hampton Hornbarger</em> was born in Pittsburgh, PA, the third of four children (Virginia, Patricia, Peter and Daniel ’64) of Earl and Charlotte Hornbarger. His father was an electrical engineer for the control division of the Westinghouse Electric Corporation in Pittsburgh and, later, in Buffalo, NY.</p>
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Peter was nominated as the principal appli­cant to West Point by Representative William L. Pfeiffer of New York State’s 42nd District. After graduation from Kenmore Senior High School in Buffalo in 1951, Peter entered West Point in July of that year and joined M-1 Company. During his time at West Point, he played Corps squad squash and tennis for three years. Moreover, he served as president of the German Club, taught Sunday school, coached deficient cadets and sang in the West Point Glee Club. During off-season Corp squad periods, Peter joined companymates to compete in intramural softball, water polo, football, basketball and cross-country athlet­ics. Having entered West Point at age 17 and being one of the youngest members of his class, Peter demonstrated the high level of his mental and physical conditioning by earn­ing very respectable grades concurrent with a heavy load of extra-curricular activities. One of Peter’s proudest accomplishments was his standing in German. For much of his two years of study, he was the first section leader (Der erste Mann der erste Abteilung).</p>
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Peter was appointed a 2nd Lieutenant in the Air Force on 3 Jun 1955 and graduated from West Point on 7 June. President Dwight Eisenhower was the commencement speaker.</p>
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After graduation, Peter reported to Moore Air Force Base in McAllen, TX, in August 1955 for primary pilot training flying on the T-34 and T-28 aircraft. During Christmas vacation of that year, Peter married Barbara E. O’Bannon of Buffalo, and the couple returned to Texas. Their first home was in Edinburg, where the young couple enjoyed and strengthened the bonds of friendship with classmates and their families that had been forged at the Academy. Peter completed primary pilot training in March 1956 and moved to Reese Air Force Base in Lubbock, TX, for basic pilot training, where he flew the B-25 aircraft. He graduated from pilot training in August 1956 and received his sil­ver wings from the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, GEN Nathan Twining.</p>
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Peter and Barbara went to Evereux Air Base near Paris, France, in the fall of 1956 for Peter’s first assignment. He flew the C-119 aircraft, providing logistics support to American bases throughout Europe. During the three years the couple lived in France, they welcomed the birth of their first child, Keith. Peter and Barbara enjoyed their time overseas, which included travels throughout Western Europe and visits to classmates sta­tioned there. Peter resigned from the Air Force as a 1st Lieutenant in 1959 and returned to Buffalo to begin a career as a life insurance agent for Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company. Peter worked for the company, which merged with the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company in 1996, for over 48 years and was a semi-retired agent at the time of his death. He also served as an independent broker for a broad range of insurance and financial planning products. During his long tenure with the company, Peter received 18 National Quality Awards and reached sales levels qualifying him for the Leaders Conference seven times and the Million Dollar Round Table three times.</p>
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Peter and Barbara had three additional children, Craig, Andrew and Katharine, and divorced in the 1970s. Peter is survived by his companion of more than 30 years, Tanya Miller of Buffalo, NY. Tanya attend­ed many West Point functions over the years and became a well-known face at football games, reunions and other alumni events. Throughout the years, Peter remained an active alumnus of West Point and delighted in taking his children and grandchildren to West Point football games and provid­ing them with the requisite West Point ap­parel. The Army-Navy football game was an annual celebration for Peter, a time to root for Army with Buffalo-based alumni and friends. One of Peter’s fondest memories of recent years was participating with new ca­dets in the annual 15-mile road march from Lake Frederick to West Point to commemo­rate the conclusion of Cadet Basic Training. For many years, Peter served on the Buffalo area Congressional screening committee for candidates to the three military academies.</p>
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Peter continued to play tennis, a sport he picked up in high school, throughout his life, hitting the court as often as three times a week up until six months before his death. In addition to tennis, he was an active member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Buffalo and served as president of the Smallwood Square Condominium Association.</p>
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Peter’s reputation was founded on his hu­mility, kindness and respect for other people. Tanya and his three siblings, four children, five grandchildren and nine nieces and neph­ews occupied a central role in his life, and he visited family members as often as pos­sible. One of his proudest achievements was organizing a Hornbarger family reunion in 2002 in Buffalo, a three-day event attended by nearly all the family and accented with picnics, sports activities and commemora­tive t-shirts. The words of one of his nephews, Daniel Peter Hornbarger, express the love and affection of those close to him—“To his family and friends, Peter was a role model in humility, compassion and thoughtfulness. He was kind, loyal, and generous. He was a good guy: easy-going, likeable, trustworthy and diplomatic. He warmed our hearts and made us smile. We can only aspire to follow in his footsteps; to embrace his graciousness and his deep respect for family and faith. We grieve his loss and miss him dearly.”</p>
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Peter succumbed to prostate cancer in June 2008 after a five-year battle that includ­ed significant periods of remission and during which he remained incredibly active. Shortly before his death, he assured his daughter Katie that he was not afraid and that every­thing would be O.K. Indeed, his family rests more easily with the knowledge that Peter is O.K. and at peace after a life well-lived and filled with love.</p>
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