OBITUARY - Peter Schroeder

      Peter Schroeder   28th May 1936 - 09th June 2023  RIP.

      

Peter with Cybele on Picota, 16.03.2011. 

A well known and popular walker, Peter Schroeder sadly passed away peacefully on  9th June 2023 at home in his beloved  Quinta do Refugio near Pincho in the Algarve, aged 87.

Many Algarve Wednesday Walkers over the years knew Peter, given that he was one of the earliest members of our walking group. He joined Maurice Clyde and others in the early days when the AWW’s were first established. Already a serious climber and mountain walker he took every opportunity to hike in the Austrian and Italian Alps whenever his busy work schedule permitted. Peter was a familiar figure when retired, and along with at least one of his favourite Cocker Spaniels participated in many long distance walks in the Algarve. 

Prior to retirement Peter had successfully fought off serious illness and major surgery. He had great resolve, DIY skills and know-how, which were shown by his ability to restore an old cottage and to maintain a completely off-grid lifestyle.

He generated his own electricity using solar and wind power, storing water behind several dams and then creating an extremely beautiful garden from nothing. This was a major achievement and was typical of Peter´s ambitions and aspirations, and he and Sonja were justifiably proud of the end product.

After a successful career as a sound and lighting engineer he was skilled in the technical aspects required for the live recording of classical music, and in supporting his wife Sonja in the production of operas in many world famous operatic venues.

To be able to retreat to the peace and tranquillity of his own Quinta

was a joy that was obvious to all who knew him here in the Algarve.

Always with a smile and an offer of help, he inspired many of the less

able walkers to keep going and battle any difficulties on the way.

That he was able to overcome adversity himself and continue to be

an inspiration to others is a fine testament to leave.

Although he fought hard to conquer the last mountain in his life, it is a very fitting tribute to his will to fight until the very end. We will miss his friendly face in the WAGS and we feel deep grief in his passing. Our thoughts are with his wife Sonja, and also with the faithful spaniels that were a big feature in Peter´s life, and who will miss him as much as we do.

A personal note by Paulo a Pe:- 

 Peter had been around walking with the AWW since before 2006. I am not sure how or exactly when he joined. 

The earliest photo I have of Peter chatting at Carrapaterira on 11.10.2006

He was rather an enigma to me because he was not one to initiate nor bring up any problem. We walked together on many occasions and sometimes at gatherings at the Schroeders, but while I was enormously respectful of  his technical talents, he never discussed politics sport or sex, our usual topics. . Even so, I liked him a lot and he completed the group whenever he did arrive to walk, with one or other of his spaniels, sometimes unannounced.

   Peter and spaniel, Chris, Hedley and myself at somewhere near Alvor on 8th March 2017

Peter was a lovely man and it was clear that he loved his life, Sonja and his dogs above all.