Waldo W. "Wally" Peckham, Jr., 89, of New Bedford died peacefully on Saturday, March 23, 2024.  He was the husband of Phyllis Peckham and was predeceased by his first wife of 49 years, Joan Rose (Houbre) Peckham.

Born in Dartmouth, he was the son of the late Waldo W. Peckham Sr. and Evelyn (Gifford) Peckham.  He was a member of the People's Christian Church in New Bedford.

Mr. Peckham was employed with Verizon Telecommunications for over 30 years until his retirement.  Mr. Peckham, known to many as "Wally," was well-known for his electronic repair skills, operating J&W Electronics for several years.  His childhood years in Bayview, Dartmouth, inspired his passion for boating.  Mr. Peckham enjoyed spending time on Buzzards Bay by participating as a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary serving as Flotilla Commander; and as a life member of the Low Tide Yacht Club, serving as Commodore, Race Committee Chair and piloting the committee boat, Limulus.  He lived on the South Coast his entire life.

He was a life member of the Mitchell Memorial Club, a former member of the Artisans Booster Club of Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational-Technical High School, Your Theatre, and the YWCA Youth Group.  Mr. Peckham, who was known by the name "Sonny" to those who knew him from childhood, was a prolific reader and history buff. He enjoyed woodworking and was a lifelong learner.  His love of agriculture and farming came from his parents.  Like his siblings, he was very interested in genealogy and was proud of his heritage, on both his father's and mother's side, which included the founders of Plymouth Colony and Boston.

He is survived by his wife Phyllis.  He is also survived by his five children with his wife Joan, namely Robert (Karen) Peckham, Jennifer Kursten, Mary (Christopher) Childs, James Peckham, and Jeffrey (Sara) Peckham.  Other survivors include his sister Joanne Fournier, and his sisters-in-law Margaret McIsaac and Jeanette Houbre and brother-in-law Lawrence (Florence) Houbre; his grandchildren Katie Peckham, Kellie Shockley and Jonathan Childs; and two great-grandchildren, Collin and Xander Shockley. He also leaves his step-granddaughter, Michelle Wagner, her husband Jack, and their two children Madeline and Katherine.

He was predeceased by his sister Mary Holland, his brother Ralph "Fred" Peckham, and his brothers-in-law Charles Houbre, Robert Holland, and Roland Fournier.

A service of remembrance will be held on Wednesday April 3rd at 11 AM at the Century House, 107 South Main St., Acushnet.  Relatives and friends are invited to attend. Visiting hours will be on Tuesday April 2nd from 4-7 PM at the Saunders-Dwyer Home for Funerals, 495 Park St. New Bedford. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Coastline Elderly Services, 863 Belleville Ave., New Bedford, MA 02745.  For online condolence book, please visit http://www.saundersdwyer.com.