Northborough – Dr. Peter J. Scopetski, DDS, passed away on Sunday, April 19, 2020, at the age of 88, from complications from the coronavirus at the Shrewsbury Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.
Peter was born in New Britain, Connecticut, the son of the late Peter M. and Doris (Jackaloski) Scopetski. He was raised in Worcester, where he attended St. John’s High School and studied pre-med at The College of the Holy Cross, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in 1953. He earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery from Temple University School of Dentistry in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1962. It was in Worcester that Peter met his late wife, Eileen (Dowd), to whom he was married for 61 years. The couple raised six children in Northborough, MA. Eileen passed away in May 2018.
Dr. Scopetski was involved in dentistry for over 30 years, including running a private practice in Northborough for nearly two decades and providing dental services to nursing homes, schools, and correctional institutions in the area. He served in the Army Medical Service Corps at the Brooke Army Medical Center in Fort Sam Houston, Texas during 1954-1956. During dental school, which he attended on the GI bill, he worked summers with the United States Public Health Service during 1960-1961.
Peter loved sports and was a talented athlete, passing on that gift to all of his children. He was a member of the Worcester Tennis Club from the 1960s through 1980s and won several senior tennis tournaments in the New England area during that time. He was a devoted alumnus of Holy Cross College and all of its sports, particularly so during the time his brother, Paul, was a star football player there. Peter also was a lifelong fan of the Celtics, Red Sox, and New England Patriots, and watched many a game at the old Irish Pubs in Worcester. Beyond sports, Peter liked to draw, watch classic movies and listen to big band and “crooner” music of the 1940s and 50s, and keep up with current events through reading newspapers and listening to tv news and talk radio. Peter also loved working in his yard on hot summer and crisp fall days.
Peter leaves behind five children: Jean Borkowski of Ann Arbor, MI; Stephen Scopetski and his wife Karen of Arlington, MA; Kevin Scopetski and his wife Karen of Northborough, MA; Neal Scopetski and his wife Beth of Auburn, MA; and Susan Snyder and her husband Rodney of Sterling, VA. Peter was preceded in death by his daughter, Karen Fleming, and his sons-in-law Mark Fleming and Joseph Borkowski. Peter also leaves 17 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and a brother, Paul Scopetski and his wife Theresa, owners of the Spare Time Shop in Marlborough.
Funeral services and burial in Howard Street Cemetery in Northborough, MA will be private, for the family. A memorial Mass and remembrance celebration will occur at a future date.
Peter’s family respectfully requests in lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial donation in memory of Peter to the Northborough Food Pantry, 37 Pierce Street, Northborough, MA 01532.
To leave a condolence, or to share a memory, please visit Peter’s Book of Memories at www.HaysFuneralHome.com.
