PETER CRUPE, ASH
Remembering A Disreputable Statuette
by Marina Stajić, Evelyn Herzog, and Paul Singleton
Marina:
I lost two brothers in 2021. Both named Peter. My older brother passed away in October. My brother in Sherlock and in Yankees in August.
Peter Crupe, BSI, ASH, etc., etc., etc… A lot of etc., since Peter was an avid joiner, as he used to say – he liked to belong and to participate. In that sense, he was a true BSI – he wanted to go everywhere, see everything and overhear everyone. Not only in the purlieus of the Sherlockian world – in the world in general.
I don’t remember when I met Peter, but I do remember that we bonded over the sad loss of our mutual friend Marlene Aig. As Peter would say – just between us girls – he did have a big crush on her. I guess, I partially filled that empty space she left in his life.
Peter had three big loves: music, Sherlock Holmes and sports. Not necessarily in that order.
I don’t need to tell this audience about his Sherlockian passion and devotion. I will just say that he was determined to attend the 100th anniversary dinner of the BSI and he was going to sit with Paul Singleton and me.
Evelyn:
My strongest memories of Peter recall his hospitality at the Montague Street Lodgers of Brooklyn. The beginnings of that group were at the 1985 Shaw symposium in Hoboken. Both Peter and Thom Utecht chatted with me about the need for a Brooklyn scion, and I urged them just to start one, which they did with third founding member Larry Feldman. An invitation for their initial meeting came, I RSVP’d, and found that the entire fledgling scion was seated at a table for four. So, to encourage them, I rather fatuously said, “Small is good!” As it happened, the Lodgers were not a small group for long, and it went on to thirty years of scholarship and jollity.
Peter was also a familiar participant at ASH events and, when men were finally admitted to regular membership in 2008, Peter was of course in the initial group. As his ASH investiture, he took “The Noble Bachelor,” the same title that had been given to him by The Baker Street Irregulars in 1994.
Paul:
Peter James Crupe was born January 15, 1955. He was a lifelong Brooklyn resident, except for the time that he graduated from Boston College with a degree in Economics. He then earned an MBA in Accounting from St. John’s University, and was a successful accountant for many years.
On the personal side, Peter was the Peter Blau of CD collecting – a true discophile, who would buy two copies of the CDs he most admired – one to play, and one to keep in the original wrapping, never to be opened.
He was the first Sherlockian I knew who traveled afar around the country to conferences and scion society meetings, and then encouraged others to do the same, including me, to broaden our Sherlockian horizons. And they then did so, including me. Because of Peter.
He had that Brooklyn bluntness about him. And – he was loyal to his friends. And when he would confide in one of us, he would often say – not only to a woman but even to another man – “Just between us girls.” His sense of humor was reflected, in part, by his colorful jokes about a character he named Brooklyn Tony.
As far as kidding went, when joking with others, he could dish it out, but he could also take it. Marina used to have soirees at her apartment during the January Weekend. At one of her January Weekend soirees we were roasting Peter for his birthday. As I spoke, tossing barb after barb, he sat there, cigar in hand, declaring “Yer killin me, Singleton, yer killing me.” But smiling as he did so. He loved it.
He was a one-of-a-kind character – and the Sherlockian world needs its characters.
Marina:
I hope I won’t be devoured by a giant mastiff, if I say that contemporary music was Peter’s number one love. His knowledge of this subject was immense – something we did not share. No wonder we had a long he was talking about Pete Townshend of The Who and I about Peter Townsend, Princess Margaret’s big love. Yes, The Who and The Grateful Dead (he had a collection of over 60 Jerry Garcia ties) were among his favorites, but so was Frank Sinatra.
As much as he loved music, Peter had never been to an opera, even though his father was a big opera lover. So, I decided to introduce him by taking him to La Traviata (a great first). It worked – he became enamored with opera and had to attend every production of the Met.
When it came to sports, there were three teams Peter loved: the Yankees (a love we did share), the NY Rangers and his alma mater football team – the BC Eagles. He often wore a t-shirt with the BC logo, complete with the bird. A friend asked him once if BC stood for Boston Chicken. He was not amused, but the rest of us present were.
Oh, yes, Peter was also very fond of the sport of kings.
Peter never had cable TV. He constantly listened to selections from his vast collection. Unless he was at my place, he listened to the Yankee games. If they didn’t perform to his liking, he would call to tell me – in great, sometime gory, detail – what he proposed to do to them. Unfortunately, I cannot repeat his amusing comments in polite company, or, for that matter, in this company. The same is true for most of my fondest Peter Crupe stories.
There is one story I can share. Great friend that he was, Peter would take care of my cats when I was out of town. At one point, he told me what a smart cat I had. “I throw him a toy mouse,” Peter said, “he runs over and sits by the mouse, so I know he wants me to come and throw it again.” This game would go on and on. And that is how Peter learned the trick, i.e., how to fetch. My cat was smart, indeed. Somewhat later, I had a cat who actually did fetch. Peter was even more impressed. “This one,” he said, “brings it back! Great!”
Like many of you, I will always miss Peter. I hope that Marlene, Jerry Garcia and many of the Yankee greats were there to greet him beyond the Reichenbach Falls and that they are all smiling while we continue to raise a glass to Peter’s immortal memory.
