Peter Clapp

Obituary of Peter Douglas Clapp (1943-2026)

Peter was born (like many other children) in Albany, New York on December 18, 1943, a very dynamic time in human history. Peter was not the whole reason for that, although some may have thought so. Like many other artists, his talent showed up early in his doodles and other childish expressions of humor and despair. He went through the process of moving from Albany, to Schenectady, to Scotia, New York and then Lynnfield, MA because he felt it sensible to stick with his family as long as he had as yet no independent means. probably a wise choice! He graduated from Lynnfield high school in 1961. The tri-city environment in NY had nurtured a similar independent soul by the name of Kurt Vonnegut. Many of Peter's Independent streaks mirrored Vonnegut's, and he was a great admirer of Vonnegut as a result. So it goes.

After finishing high school, he launched upon a career in art by enrolling at the Mass School of Art in Boston and studied there for the better part of two years, whereupon he shifted to the Kansas State School of Art for another several years of training but never received a diploma from either one. He was just that way.

In his late 20s, he was drawn to the artistic environment of Santa Fe and never left. It satisfied all his desires for a laid-back artistic life, a sense of independence and an economy based on the barter system where the exchange of favors was the currency. He became one of the talented artists who painted the room furniture with original Indian theme designs in the old part of the La Fonda on the Plaza. Those pieces of beautiful furniture are still in evidence at the hotel even 20 or so years after their creation. His artistic income was never sufficient to survive so he became an independent landscaper and lawn irrigation specialist to put food on the table and feed his cats.

The very friendly atmosphere of Santa Fe was very satisfying for Peter and he developed a large circle of friends in every direction. His longtime friends included classmates from high school and art school, coworkers as a freelance graphic artist for a New Mexican newspaper, neighbors in the Apodaca Hill Community, teammates of the champion “Dancing Pigs softball team, friends at his favorite hangout “The Tack Club”, clients and crew of his landscaping business, people he met on his meanderings around the countryside, and friends who gathered to play poker and bridge And of course as an artist, he had heartbreak from losing his soul mate who slipped away. It was hard to walk down the street in the plaza with Peter and not have every other person greet him, hug him and ask how he was. He will be missed for his gentle, but stubborn and independent nature. It was as if he was a beloved member of the larger Santa Fe family, a truly unique community, and so it goes.

He is survived by his older brothers, Roger of Lincoln CA, Philip of Boston MA and his younger sister Judith of Sun City Center FL. Any comments, memories, or anecdotes to share can be entered on the website of The Rivera Family Funeral Home in Espanola, NM.