Remembering Peter

By Brittany Benjamin

Sophomore Peter Feldsine was an expert skier -- to the point where he could beat his dad down the hill.

Feldsine grew up in Mercer Island, Wash. and at the age of three started skiing the hills of Crystal Mountain and Whistler, where his family had a second home.

"He could ski all terrain. We could ski back country; we could ski trees; we could ski bowls," his father, Phil Feldsine said. With an enthusiasm for skiing and sports, Peter and his family even ventured up to Vancouver for this year's Winter Olympics.

Feldsine died Sunday, Feb. 29 from Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome, a condition his parents only became aware of in December. He collapsed outside of Campisi Hall after returning from the gym.

The English major, who recently turned 19 on Aug. 28, was eager to try his first legal beer as the drinking age in Canada is 19. When he and his dad went up to Whistler at Christmas, he had his chance.

"We could go out at Hy's Steakhouse and he could order beer," his dad said. "He was proud of that."

Along with skiing, Feldsine loved literature and poetry and spent his time playing the Warcraft video game, performing magic, playing sports and watching his local teams. With his dad, Feldsine attended about 20 SuperSonics games a year and his family had season tickets to see the Seahawks.

Last season, Feldsine and his dad even attended the San Francisco 49ers home opener, fittingly played against the Seahawks. Peter wore his Matt Hasselbeck jersey and his dad wore his Twelfth-Man jersey. His dad says they took a lot of heckling from the home team's fans.

He also played basketball with his grade school friends and was involved in fantasy baseball.

"He loved sports more than anything," his mother Carolyn Feldsine said. Carolyn and her son texted back and forth during the men's basketball game between Santa Clara and rival Gonzaga, a school where many of his friends from home attended.

According to his parents, Feldsine also received good grades and was an honor roll student.

At Santa Clara, Feldsine was a member of the Communitas Resident Learning Community in Campisi Hall.

According to Campus Ministry Director Jack Treacy, S.J., Feldsine's floor mates called him the "bright beam" of the hall -- a person who was always upbeat and had a great heart for people in his hall. His roommate from last year, John Fresquez, said Feldsine knew most of the people on his hall and called many of his friends "Big Guy."

"He was a really fun, outgoing person. Around me, he was never quiet and was always saying hello to people," Fresquez said.

He and Feldsine lived in Bellarmine Hall last year.

"People seemed to be drawn to him," Fresquez said. "He was a people person."

Fresquez said they would watch big sports games like the SuperBowl together. They were already picking their March Madness tournament winners.

"We always used to get into it because I am a Broncos fan," said Fresquez, who is from Denver. "We'd always talk about the NFL draft."

Fresquez will most remember Feldsine's laugh. "We always used to compare it to Peter from family guy," he said. "He had that kind of laugh and that kind of personality."

Treacy, along with University President Michael Engh., S.J., accompanied the family back to Mercer Island for the funeral.

The university also held a mass in Feldsine's honor and a candle-light vigil in the basement of Campisi. The vigil was standing-room only, with students over-flowing into the hallway.

"It was packed," Campisi Resident Minister Galina Pappu said. "People were out the door and I don't know how many people knew Peter, but that was a really good chance to reflect on his life and celebrate who he was. He was a Santa Clara student -- he was walking in the same places we walk everyday."

His friends were also encouraged to write notes to the family, which Treacy delivered personally to his family.

"I had a box full of notes from people who said Peter touched their lives," his mom said.

Pappu said his mother plans to personally respond to every one.

"I think based on the response from residents, peers and classmates, he touched people's lives through his own life," said Jeanne Rosenberger, vice provost for student life and the dean of students.

"They continue to want to remember him. They become his legacy. That community in Communitas that came together to celebrate his life is part of his legacy."

Kurt Wagner contributed reporting to this article. Contact Brittany Benjamin at brbenjamin@scu.edu or (408) 554-4546.