Peter John Musante III

Attorney Peter J. Musante III, of Brookfield, Wisconsin, passed away on September 26, 2026, at the age of 79.

Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, in 1947, Peter was the son of Peter J. Musante Jr. and Helen Musante. Over the course of his life, Peter wore many hats—attorney, teacher, police officer, sailor, golfer, traveler, historian, trivia champion, singer, and, above all, husband, father, and grandfather.

Having grown up on the East Coast, he loved to sail. Upon moving to the Milwaukee area in the ’60s and doing his undergraduate work at UW-Milwaukee, he was an integral part of what was then called the “Outing Club.” He was chagrined to learn that Milwaukee didn’t have a sailing club and made sure that sailing became one of the Outing Club’s offerings. That early iteration eventually morphed into the Milwaukee Sailing Club.

Peter served with the Milwaukee Police Department from 1970 to 1977 before going on to study law at UW-Madison.

Following law school, he returned to the Milwaukee area to practice law and began a remarkable 33-year career teaching at Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC). He brought his knowledge, wit, and experience to the classroom and touched the lives of countless students throughout his years as an educator. Countless students and clients have spoken of his impact on their lives as he shared not only his knowledge but an ocean of compassion.

But work was only one part of Peter’s story. Peter loved to have fun and rarely needed much of an excuse for a party. He loved to travel, and of all the places he visited, Venice held a special place in his heart. He had a lifelong love of history and trivia and was nearly impossible to beat at a trivia game. His curiosity seemed to have no limits.

Peter was also an avid golfer. Retirement found him on the golf course three to four times a week, where he played in a couple of leagues as well as weekly rounds with “his golf guys.”

He loved music and loved to sing. He sang for the Pope in Rome and with the Brookfield Civic Chorus until just a few years ago.

He loved his cats, Dobby and Bobgoblin. And he loved his Milwaukee Brewers. Right up until the end, Peter was hoping he would finally get to see the Brewers win the World Series.

Most of all, Peter loved his family. He is survived by his beloved wife, Deborah; his daughter, Melissa (Steve); and his granddaughter, Petra, who brought immense joy and pride to his life.

He is further survived by his sisters, Madeline, Suzanne, and Terri; his nieces and nephews, Laura (Jeff), David (Holly), Jason, and Sean (Jamie); and their children. He was also a father figure to so many, with sage advice offered warmly and often.

Peter lived a life filled with curiosity, adventure, laughter, music, friendship, and family. He collected stories, knowledge, experiences, and people along the way. He will be deeply missed, and somewhere, there is probably a trivia question he would have known the answer to.

We look forward to celebrating his life with you on Friday, October 9th, at Wanaki Golf Course Clubhouse (N50W20830 Lisbon Rd., Menomonee Falls, WI 53051). Gather at 4 p.m. for brief words and a sing-along (bring your guitar if you want), followed by a 21-ball salute at 5:15 p.m. Bring your driver, or one will be available for you to use. Reception to follow.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to HAWS or First Tee Southeast Wisconsin.