06/20/2026
(I’m about to post the longest caption ever but it’s worth it. I hope you will stick around to hear about a remarkable man.)
If you are lucky enough to live in Grantham and have ever attended Town Meeting, you knew Peter James. Even if you didn’t directly know Peter, you knew Peter because your life in Grantham was made better by his service to our community. I had the incredible fortune of knowing Peter through my role as a former Chair of the School Board. After my first Budget Hearing as Chair, Peter asked to meet with our Superintendent and I. Peter politely yet firmly told us exactly what we had done wrong, where we were missing the mark, and how we needed to get our ducks in a row before Annual Meeting if we expected to get the towns support for our budget. Some of his feedback stung my pride but my pride has never been more important than the truth and what he was teaching me was the truth. He became an informal sounding board for us and proved to be a formidable, some might say ornery, and truly fierce advocate for our district. He had exacting standards and made us earn his support but his support was like a river canyon… deep, wide, and cutting a path steadfastly towards the support and protection of public education. And Peter’s commitment to the promise of local government was equally as passionate when it came to Town Meeting. When Peter got up to speak, you better well listen knowing that his comments would be measured, thoughtful, and direct. His approach, his questions, his expectations have shaped me as a community leader more than almost anything or anyone else.
Peter passed away last December, I never found the moment or the courage to tell Peter what he meant to me. What a secret mentor he was to me. How I find myself running community questions through my own “Peter Filter”… is this choice economically sound, does it benefit the most people, is it sustainable, is it explainable, can it last?
Today was the Shop Sale in Peter’s phenomenal woodworking shop.
These tools now live with me as something tangible that Peter used to shape the world around him as he continues to help me shape the world around me.
Thank you, C. Peter James.
