Calvin Peterson “Peter” McCuiston, aged 74, passed on to GOD at Huntsville, Hospital May 22, 2024. He was born at City Hospital, Winston-Salem, NC August 2, 1949, to Phil Thomas McCuiston, Sr. and Velva Freeman McCuiston. He was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his brother, Phil Thomas McCuiston, Jr. (Joanne Tyus McCuiston). Phil and Peter’s father, grandfather and uncle ran hardware and furniture stores in Kernersville, N.C. They lived in their grandfather’s large house. Kernersville was a “knitting mill town” surrounded by “Bright Leaf Tobacco” Farms. At the time, it was considered “patriotic to smoke” however, neither Peter nor his brother ever smoked. As a little boy Peter loved watching Buffalo Bob and Howdy Doody, westerns and comedy shows on a black and white television. He liked to line up kitchen chairs as a “pretend train with Peter as engineer!” Peter was baptized at First Baptist Church, Kernersville. Brother Phil said their father was a heavy drinker and smoker. Around 1959 or 1960, their father was advised to give smoking and drinking. Their father sold the hardware and furniture stores and opened a successful florist business next to a new house which was completed in 1956. Peter attended the University of NC, Chapel Hill, NC in the 1970’s. For a short time, he drove a chrome plated Harley-Davidson Motorcycle.
After years of estrangement, Peter and his father became very close, due to their mutual interest in coin collecting, and they remained close until their father’s death in 1980. During the 1980’s Peter partnered in a coin store. During that time gold and silver bullion prices skyrocketed. People were lining up at their store to melt family silverware, gold and silver dollars. Each week Peter would deliver several hundred thousand dollars’ worth of silver and gold to a smelter dealer for a reasonable percentage.
Sometime in the 1980’s, Peter married a lady from Boone, NC. They were married several years, divorcing with no children.
In the 1990’s, their mother sold the family home and moved to Raleigh, NC, where she had several brothers and sisters. Peter stayed in Winston-Salem. He and his brother were separated for many years, as his brother was an engineer in Huntsville, Alabama.
In 1996 their mother became ill with pancreatic cancer. She had several operations and lived a few more years. She and Peter moved to Huntsville in 1996 to be near his brother. Their mother died in 1998. Her remains were returned to the McCuiston family burying ground in Kernersville, NC.
After that, Peter moved to Johnson Towers with a disability. He worked for Huntsville Housing Authority and served as a security guard and was well liked by the residents there.
Brother Phil and his wife, Joanne (Jody), and her daughter, Holly, spent Peter’s last eight or nine days visiting Peter at Huntsville Hospital. He was allowed to rest comfortably rather than undergo invasive procedures due to his terminal illness.
There will be a joint graveside service in Kernersville, NC. Peter’s ashes will be interred with preceding family and “consigned to the ages.” Peter is now in the “Arms of GOD!”
GOD’s blessings and best wishes to all Peter’s family and friends. including his friends at Johnson Towers.
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