Peter Allan Bouyea, 78, of Burlington, Vt., and Estero, Fla., passed away on April 28, 2026. Born in 1948 in Plattsburgh, N.Y., he was the son of Leander A. Bouyea Jr. and Marjorie (Sanger) Bouyea.
As a boy, Peter served as first mate on his father’s boat Priscilla, manning the grill on long summer afternoons off Valcour Island, where as many as 30 friends and family members might be aboard. Peter attended Mount Assumption Institute, where he played varsity football and varsity tennis, founded a chess club, and was elected senior class president. Inspired by his father, who taught Marines how to fly during the war, Peter soloed an Aeronca Champ plane at age 16.
At age 18, Peter started working for Bouyea Bakery, the family business that his father and grandfather built by hand the very year he was born. Peter earned a degree in economics from LeMoyne College in Syracuse, where he was chairman of Winter Weekend (when he recruited the Lovin’ Spoonful to headline the most successful festival LeMoyne’s dean had ever experienced). Shortly after graduation, Peter married Linda McCormick, the love of his life, on October 17, 1970.
The day after he graduated, he reported for work at Fassetts, the family bakery in Burlington, Vt., that Bouyea Bakery acquired in 1963. Under the mentorship of “Murph” Lorry, his father’s closest friend, he learned the business from the inside out. The Bouyea-Fassetts Baking Co. became a major supplier of baked goods throughout most of New England and northern New York, including supplying hot dog rolls to Celtics games at Boston Garden. As president, Peter guided the company to a successful sale to Freihofer’s in 1989, which was owned by Kraft Foods.
Peter retired from the bread business in 1994 after 24 years but remained active in his community, serving as the president of the Jaycees, receiving the Presidential Recognition Award from the United Way of Chittenden County, becoming an instructor for Dale Carnegie & Associates, and serving on the Ronald McDonald House Board. From 1993 to 2015, he was a member of the board of directors for Merchants Bancshares Inc.
Over the past 25 years, Linda and Peter divided their time between their houses in Vermont and Florida. While in Florida, Peter enjoyed perfecting his golf game, becoming a teacher’s assistant at the local elementary school and achieving Sapphire status as a contract bridge player.
Peter was an incredibly supportive, generous and loving presence for his family. He taught them all so much and was truly dedicated to setting his kids up for success in life, which he accomplished four times over. He is survived by his beloved wife of 55 years, Linda; children, Petra Bouyea, Lee Bouyea (Laura), Brad Bouyea (Jocelyn) and Lauren Bouyea (Jordan); grandchildren, Ben, Luke, Charlie, Talon, Sam and Mira; and siblings Michele Simpson, Jim Bouyea and Suzanne Kasprzak. He was predeceased by his parents, Leander and Marjorie Bouyea, as well as his brother Mark Bouyea.
Peter was a devout Catholic and committed to the faith throughout his life. A funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, May 16, 2026, 11 a.m., at St. Anthony’s Parish in Burlington. A reception will follow at the Burlington Country Club. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the charity of your choice. Arrangements are in care of LaVigne Funeral Home. To send condolences to his family, please visit vtfuneralhomes.com.