Peter Alan Salzer

Dr. Peter Alan Salzer, 81, of Muttontown and Southampton, New York, passed away peacefully on August 18, 2026.

Peter is survived by his beloved wife of 59 years, Linda, and by the family that was the center of his life: his son Bret Salzer, his daughters Dr. Jennifer Salzer and Lisa Salzer, and his grandchildren Mason, Jesse, Beau and Vivienne Scharf, Lucas Salzer-Encizo, and Elle Campagna. He was a deeply devoted husband, a loving father and grandfather, and a loyal friend, colleague, teacher, doctor and mentor.

Peter, the son of Hans and Bella Salzer and brother to Edward and Kathy, grew up in Merrick, New York, where he distinguished himself both academically and athletically. He was a Nassau County champion wrestler and co-captain of his varsity football team. He went on to attend Columbia University as a pre-med student and athlete, where he wrestled, was a member of Alpha Chi Rho, and played rugby with the Old Blue Rugby Football Club.

Peter attended medical school in Boston, graduating in the top ten percent of his class and receiving an award for excellence in anatomy. During his first year of medical school, he married his high school sweetheart, Linda Frost of Merrick, beginning a beautiful marriage that would last 59 years and resulted in the birth of their 3 loving children.

Peter devoted his professional life to medicine and surgery. He became a highly respected vascular surgeon and served as Chief of Surgery at Mid Island Hospital. For a majority of his career, he was blessed to share a devoted and enduring surgical partnership with his dear friends Dr. Hormoz Mansouri and Dr. Mehran Mansouri.

Later in his career, Peter developed a particular interest in wound care and hyperbaric medicine. Recognizing its potential to heal wounds that had otherwise proven extraordinarily difficult to treat, he helped bring hyperbaric therapy to his hospital and ultimately served as Director of Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine at Plainview Hospital. He remained deeply committed to his patients and to medicine throughout his career.

For all Peter accomplished professionally, however, medicine was only one part of the man he was.

Peter was strong without ever needing to announce his strength. He was quiet and soft-spoken, steady, kind and deeply loyal. He was someone others could depend upon. He cared for people not only as a physician, but simply because caring for people was part of his nature.

He had many extremely exciting interests that were more than hobbies; they were a way of life for him.  His love of mountain climbing, hiking, skiing and camping was extensive. He was the youngest person at the time to climb Mt. Rainier at age 13 with his father. He also summited Mt. McKinely in Alaska, and the JungFrau and Monta Rosa in Switzerland. He trekked to the Base Camp at Mt. Everest and the Materhorn. He took his family multiple times to Mt. Washington, the Grand Canyon and Sierra Nevadas.

After retiring in 2021, he embraced another role with the same devotion: grandfather. He took enormous pride in his grandchildren and was a loving and involved presence in their every day lives. He was not just a visiting Poppy, he lived with and help raise these children, who love him dearly beyond what words can convey.

Peter’s greatest legacy is ultimately not found in his titles, accomplishments, or awards, but in the people who loved him. He gave the best of himself as a husband, father, grandfather, physician, mentor and friend.

Simply put, everyone who truly knew Peter loved him. He will be profoundly missed and forever remembered by the family, friends, colleagues, patients, and countless others whose lives were made better because of him.