SOMA Living December 2022

MEET THE QUILLIN FAMILY The Quillins are a family grounded by faith. Allison, Peter, and their children are members of The Life Christian Church in West Orange. Allison explains, “We’re really involved with other families there. Peter actually is one of the youth leaders. Our kids have grown up there. That’s been a really good experience for us and a big part of our social life as a family.” Allison attributes Pastor Terry A. Smith’s book “The Hospitable Leader” as a guide for the entire family. The Quillin family story starts nearly thirteen years ago in Brooklyn. Allison shared, “I met Peter at a boxing gym. A girlfriend of mine took me there. He has a big personality and will talk to anyone. We met and immediately started talking. At the time, you couldn’t just look someone up on social media. He had a couple of things on Youtube. So, I sort of assumed he was a trainer there. I wasn’t really sure. But then I found out he was a professional boxer and I was like, ‘oh, my goodness’.” Peter Quillin isn’t just a professional boxer. He held the World Boxing Organization’s Middleweight title from 2012 to 2014. His career boxing record is 34-2-1 and 23 knockouts. Quillin, known as “Kid Chocolate”, shares his nickname with the 1930’s Cuban boxer Eligio Sardinas Montalvo. Born in Chicago, but raised in Grand Rapids, Quillin moved to New York to turn pro. Allison and Peter married in 2013. Allison laughed, “We got married at a taqueria in Tribeca. We didn’t say we were getting married, but when

Photography by Jamie Meier

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DECEMBER 2022 | SOMA LIVING 7

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