Peter Meenaghan, 23, a snowboarder who also skydived, died in his sleep Sunday, March 17, in his Wilmette home. Mr. Meenaghan was born in Columbus, Ohio, and moved to Wilmette when his father, Tom, a professor, took a job at Loyola University. Parents would frequently call to ask if Mr. Meenaghan could play with their children because he was so easygoing and gentle, said his father. From helping his niece deliver Girl Scout cookies to assisting an elderly neighbor move out of his house, Mr. Meenaghan had a bond “with people of all ages,” his father said. “I never heard Peter say a critical word about any other kid,” his father said. “It daunted me. He was…protective of who they are as unique people.” Mr. Meenaghan, who loved being on the move, had a passion for snowboarding. He also windsurfed and skateboarded. Mr. Meenaghan attended grade school and high school in Wilmette. He showed artistic talent and studied graphic design at St. Thomas Aquinas College in Sparkill, N.Y., graduating in 2000. He had worked several summers for the Wilmette Harbor Association and served as harbormaster for a year after graduating from college. Most recently, Mr. Meenaghan was an assistant teacher at Shepherd Middle School in Deerfield. Mr. Meenaghan had bleached blond hair that stood straight up and “no two hairs were ever in the same direction,” said his neighbor Leonard Nemerovski. “We knew him for six brief months, but he lit up our lives,” said Nemerovski’s wife, Dale. Mr. Meenaghan is also survived by his mother, Kathleen; a brother, Christian; a sister, Mary; and a grandmother, Florence McNerney. Visitation is scheduled from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday and 3 to 9 p.m. Friday at William H. Scott Funeral Home, 1100 Greenleaf Ave., Wilmette. A mass will be said at 11 a.m. Saturday in St. Francis Xavier Church, 524 9th St., Wilmette.
