SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - Peter L. Picknelly Sr., a legendary bus industry figure who became a successful real estate developer and a moving force in his hometown of Springfield, died Oct. 4 while vacationing in Portugal. He was 73.
Mr. Picknelly headed Peter Pan Bus Lines for 40 years, building it into one of the industry's leading companies through his hands-on management, business smarts and aggressive marketing.
Today, Peter Pan operates 400 buses, employs more than 1,500 individuals, and grosses upwards of $100 million annually. The company calls itself the largest private bus company in the U.S.
Mr. Picknelly died of an apparent stroke while getting ready for a sightseeing tour. He was traveling with his wife, Judith, and longtime friend, Robert Santaniello, an attorney in Springfield.
In a joint statement, Mr. Picknelly's three children mourned their father's death. "Our father's great passions in life were his business, his family and his love for the city of Springfield where he was born and raised. . . . He loved his work, his family and projects that led to the betterment of Springfield. We feel a profound sense of loss and ask for your prayers."
The American Bus Association, in a notice sent to its members, called Mr. Picknelly "a bus industry innovator for more than 40 years." Mr. Picknelly was a long-time member of the ABA board and past chairman of its Marketplace event.
Mr. Picknelly was three years old in 1933 when his father bought a limousine service called Yellow Cab Air Line for $4,500. When he was 18, Mr. Picknelly went to work for the family bus company, renamed Peter Pan Bus Lines by his father.
After his father died in 1964, Mr. Picknelly became president of the company. During the next 35 years, he grew Peter Pan into a regional transportation icon, and diversified the family business and his personal interests in a dozen directions.
Over the years, Mr. Picknelly was an owner and manager of more than a half-dozen bus companies, including operations in Washington, D.C., West Palm Beach, Fla., and Puerto Rico.
Other industry-related businesses headed by Mr. Picknelly include Coach Builders, a leading bus rebuilding and refurbishing shop, and Eastern Leasing Co., a finance and bus leasing company.
For more than a decade, Mr. Picknelly was president of Springfield Transit Management, which operated the public transit service in Springfield. He was particularly proud of having helped negotiate a number of contracts with union employees of the transit system.
In 1993, Mr. Picknelly's interest turned to real estate. He was the successful bidder for a major office-hotel complex in downtown Springfield called Monarch Place, which includes the Sheraton Springfield. After that deal, he made a handful of other real estate acquisitions or initiated significant projects in Springfield and Holyoke, Mass.
In the late 1990s, Mr. Picknelly and Peter Pan began operating what they called a "riverbus" service, providing tours of the Connecticut River in Springfield. The tour has become one of the area's major attractions.
A major highlight of Mr. Picknelly's professional life came late in his career. Although he was no longer active in day-to-day management of Peter Pan, he was very much involved in Peter Pan's $40 million purchase of five subsidiaries of Coach USA in June of last year. The acquisition more than doubled the size of Peter Pan.
Mr. Picknelly's civic involvement in Springfield reached throughout the community. He also received a number of honors, including being named Transportation Person of the Year by the New England Passenger Transportation Association. Earlier this year, he was named one of the Top 50 Who Influenced Public Transportation (during the past 100 years) by Metro magazine.
In addition to his widow, Mr. Picknelly is survived by his sons, Peter A. and Paul C., and his daughter, Mary Jean.