Veteran Chicago area municipal analyst Peter Fugiel died over the weekend after a long illness.
He was a past chairman of the National Federation of Municipal Analysts and a past president of the Chicago Municipal Analysts Society.
Fugiel retired more than a decade ago from Nuveen Investments but he showed no signs of slowing down, launching a consulting business, hosting seminars, and frequently penning papers on public sector credit issues and policy.
Fugiel brought an academic's perspective to his work, friends and colleagues said. He attended the University of Notre Dame for undergraduate work and did graduate work at several schools before obtaining a doctoral degree from Northern Illinois University.
Fugiel spent 20 years at Nuveen where he served as a senior housing analyst for one of the largest tax-exempt housing bond portfolios in the country. He retired in 2002.
Previously he worked for Merrill Lynch in New York City where he was the firm's first housing analyst. He began his public finance research career at Harris Bank.
His work was recognized with awards from various research groups including Smith's Research & Gradings.
"We sadly note the passing of Peter Fugiel, past chair of the NFMA, and (more importantly) overall good guy and scholar," NFMA executive director Lisa Good noted in an email to members.
Fugiel launched PMN Community Services-Chicago Metrometrics in 2007, a consulting business that provides social science research, non- profit accounting, technical services, and information on national trends and research and housing demographics.
He was a frequent contributor to the research database website MuniNet Guide, which published his articles on housing trends, housing policies, urban affairs, and demographic research.
"Peter made sense out of demographics, which became a centerpiece for his analysis of municipal finance and real estate trends in America," said Fugiel's longtime friend, MuniNet Guide co-owner and co-publisher Richard Ciccarone. "He was a mentor to many public finance and urban affairs enthusiasts, and a leader in his field."
Ciccarone described Fugiel as passionate about his research, scholarly in his presentation, and a gentle provocateur.
"Even if I didn't agree with Peter I walked away from the conversation a little smarter and his argument would better inform how I reached the conclusions I would draw in my own research," Ciccarone said.
Fugiel is survived by his wife Mary, and two sons.
"Peter was one of the best and most caring citizens I've ever seen," Mary said in a piece posted about Fugiel Tuesday on MuniNet Guide. "I can only hope that his passion for justice and benevolence will touch our society, and that his devotion to God and his creatures will merit his reward."
Services have not yet been announced.
