Boston, MA In 1963 just about the time that Rolly Hopkins founded The New England Real Estate Journal, Jack Peckham III, CCIM, CIPS, RECS opened the doors at Data Realty Corp. Hopkins and Peckham became friends–a friendship that lasts to this day.
In 1963, Peckham finished a six-year stint at sea as the navigator on the USS Neptune and as an agent with NCIS (then ONI).
He was selected Realtor of the Year by the Greater Boston Real Estate Board (1969 and 1979), and the Mass. Association of Realtors (1979). He was elected president of MAR in 1979 and was the founding president of the New England CCIM Chapter in 1972. The Boston JCs named him one of Greater Boston’s Outstanding Young Men in 1978. He also wrote “A Master Guide to Income Property Brokerage” (in its 5th edition and 18th printing from Wiley Publishers).
Peckham specialized in the sale of institutional grade net leased properties and to this day continues to locate and negotiate the acquisition of these net leased properties.
Peckham’s blast off to the top of the real estate world inspired him, as he celebrates his 85th birthday, to plan his next big show for when he leaves this earth. Peckham has contracted with Celestis, a memorial spaceflight firm founded by one of the original astronauts. Peckham said “I got hooked up with Celestis when one of the original astronauts, Wally Schirra, worked for me.”
According to Peckham when he dies, his cremated ashes will be loaded onto a Celestis satellite that will orbit the earth for 240 years.
Once the satellite is in orbit it will be visible (family and friends will be e-notified that), if they look up to the northeast at 25 degrees, they can see Peckham fly over. He told Hopkins, “The grandkids can go out in the back yard, point up and yell, “There goes grampa!”
Hopkins said, “You’ll need to reassure them (your family) that the contract is signed and paid for – that Celestis is a very real service – and that you’re still reasonably sane!” Peckham reassured Hopkins that he is quite sane and that the Celestis cost is actually less than buying a casket and digging a grave.
