Peter Istvan Domaruk

Peter Istvan Domaruk of Olney, Maryland, died peacefully in the presence of his loving wife and daughter early on the morning of October 23, 2024.

Peter was born on October 31, 1945, to Peter Domaruk and Anna (Gacs) Domaruk in Budapest, Hungary.

In 1962, Peter immigrated to the United States with his parents, sister, and brother when he was almost 17 years old. He worked to help support his family rather than finishing high school. Peter became a citizen and earned his GED while serving in the US Army after he was drafted during the Vietnam war. He later went on to earn an associate degree in engineering from Montgomery College.

Peter met his wife, Rebecca, in 1968, while they were both working at the Department of Sanitary Engineering (WASA) for the District of Columbia. Peter and Rebecca went on to have two children, Cynthia and Paul.

Peter loved the outdoors. He shared this with his family and instilled this love in his children by hiking, camping, fishing, canoeing, riding bikes, and skiing at every opportunity. No beautiful weekend day was spent indoors. Every year since 1972, he grew fresh vegetables for the family in his garden. He had a curious mind, mostly reading nonfiction and history. He loved astronomy, playing chess, and would occasionally break out his violin to play a few tunes. His artistic side found creative expression on birthdays with humorously decorated cakes. Peter learned how to play golf from his son, Paul, and it became a favorite pastime. Friends and family loved his hearty infectious laugh, which at times he was unable to stop once started. When not occupied with completing the tasks on his to-do list, he was present and enjoyed the simple things with family. Being Pop Pop to his granddaughter, Adalai, was one of his greatest joys. Whether it was horseplay when she was young or picking vegetables in the garden and canoeing when she was older, he cherished the time spent together and the teachable moments. Their bond filled his life with love and laughter.

Peter was a respected engineer at Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission for 32 years. He truly enjoyed his time there as a project manager. He was fond of sharing anecdotes of workplace hijinks. He retired from WSSC in 2009.

In retirement, he was able to devote more time to riding his bicycle all over Montgomery County and beyond, logging mileage equivalent to two laps around the Earth. Some years he pedaled over 3,500 miles. This year while struggling with advanced congestive heart failure, through sheer force of will, he managed to ride 1,010 miles. True to character, he accomplished all this on inexpensive bicycles with no specialized gear.

Peter was preceded in death by his son, Paul Istvan Domaruk, and his older brother, Gyula Domaruk. Peter was glowingly proud of Paul and always loved sharing his favorite stories of him.

He is survived by his wife, Rebecca; daughter, Cynthia and her husband, Bob; daughter-in-law, Lydia and granddaughter, Adalai; sister, Aniko and brother, Laszlo.

The Memorial Service will be held at Shady Grove Presbyterian Church on Saturday, November 16, 2024 at 11:00 am.

Peter felt strongly about donating to many charities. So, in lieu of flowers, please donate to the organization of your choice.

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