Obituary of Peter Rhulen
Peter L. Rhulen, 79 years old, died on June 2nd in New York City due to Parkinson’s related complications.
He was born on July 23, 1938 in Monticello Hospital to Eve and Max Rhulen. He was a graduate of Cheshire Academy and University of Connecticut. Peter married Eileen A. Novick on December 29, 1968 and is the father of three daughters – Samantha, Blake and Sloane.
After college, he moved to Manhattan where he spent a short time working in financial services. He then moved back to Monticello to join the family insurance business, Rhulen Agency, to work with his father Max, his sister and brother in law Joan and Jesse Farrow and his brother Walter Rhulen.
Peter spent over three decades helping to build Rhulen Agency into one of the biggest privately held specialty insurance agencies in North America. He was recognized as having the largest animal mortality insurance program in the US and was a well-respected authority on standardbred horse racing. He also served as a Board Member of Frontier Insurance Group.
Peter devoted a significant amount of time and resources to establishing the Sullivan Country Recovery Center in the mid 80s, a treatment facility for alcohol and drug addiction. He spent many hours helping people in recovery. He was instrumental in establishing the Rails To Trails network in Sullivan County. He also served on the board of several charitable organizations including the National Council for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse (NCADD) and the Yeshiva University Wurtzweiler School of Social Work, which honored him and Eileen in 1996.
He was an avid runner and ran the New York Marathon in 1986. He enjoyed playing golf, traveling around the world and taking advantage of the arts and culture New York City has to offer. Peter and Eileen have been married for almost 50 years.
One of Peter’s greatest pleasures was going to the track to watch his horses train and race. And he held on to that passion through his very last days.
He is survived by his wife Eileen, his daughters Samantha, Blake and Sloane, his sister Joan Farrow, sister in law Judy Rhulen, sister and brother in law Adele and Stuart Novick, and brother in law Carl Novick and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
Funeral services will be held 11 a.m., Wednesday, June 6th at Joseph N. Garlick Funeral Home, 388 Broadway, Monticello, NY. Burial will follow the funeral service at Landfield Ave. Synagogue Cemetery, Thompson Rd., Monticello.
Donations may be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation, 200 SE 1st Street, Suite 800, Miami, FL 33131.
Funeral arrangements by Joseph N. Garlick Funeral Home Monticello; for directions or to leave the family a condolence message please visit our website at www.
