Borrowing from Sinatra, "Come Fly With Me" may well have been Pete's enduring theme song.  Pete first started flying in the '60s, and the passion for soaring into the sky, flying free, alight to new destinations, was lifelong. 

Pete's first plane was a Cessna, his last a Bonanza - but no matter what aircraft he flew, he enjoyed sharing the cockpit with friends and family.  Taking off on a spontaneous trip to Napa or Sedona was a great delight, and even routine business trips took on a more exotic lustre when he could take wing himself.

Always one to contribute his talents, Pete was a member of the Civil Air Patrol and would frequently assist with search and rescue missions throughout California. (It's not clear if he ever found anyone, other than new friends - but that in itself he would have found worthwhile.)

As with many things in life, the journey is often more important than the destination - and so it was with Pete's delight in flying, aloft in the clouds, smiling all the way, if not to a bar in far Bombay, then to a sunny afternoon at the end of a distant runway.

Fitting for a big man, Pete had a special fondness for a particular breed of big dog: Newfoundlands.  Pete gave his heart and shared a significant amount of square footage in his home with several Newfs over the years: Dee Dee, a doting family dog in his early years, and then many years later, Boomer and Beau - his four-legged children.  Pete didn't reserve his affections only for Newfs, however - his heart melted when Stephanie brought home a lab-Rottweiler puppy she found in a box outside the grocery store, and Kukla quickly became a loyal companion.  Kallie, a lab mix, joined the family within the next few years, and at 16 is still going strong and showing golden retriever Sophie, 4, the ropes. Other dogs he loved over the years included Freida and Zorba.   

Pete was a firm disciplinarian: "Beau - bad dog!  Here, have a treat.  Wait, have another one...." The meals he crafted for the dogs often rivaled whatever he served up for human consumption, and he shared generously from the table with his furry kids. 

There is a reason that god spelled backwards is dog, and Pete's spirit was always at rest when he was communing with his four-legged soulmates.

Not every child is lucky enough to have a grandfather as ticklish or cuddly as Pete. But six kids have grown up relishing their time with Papou: his daughter Sylvia's boys, Alan and Carl; stepdaughter Ariel's kids, Faye and Nathan; and - eventually - stepdaughter Andrea's girls, Alyssa and Ava. Papou loved doing things with his grandkids - from fishing to taking the kids on train rides to chauffering little ones up and down the driveway on the John Deere Gator. But mostly he loved to laugh when they tickled him, and to hear them laugh when he gave it right back!

Pete initially felt called to the church after graduating from high school, attending seminary school in Boston for four years.  After a brief hiatus, Pete was ordained as a priest in the Greek Orthodox Church in San Francisco in 1968, a role he embraced because it allowed him to help others in his church community.  Pete eventually realized that his approach to ministering to others didn't dovetail as closely as he wished with that of the church, and after four years he stepped away from his duties as an active priest and re-focused his energies and enthusiasm for helping others through his lifelong career in education.

Pete started his career in education as a high school math teacher - the kind of teacher all the students wish they had. Eventually his skills as a leader drew him to school administration.  His career spanned positions at districts throughout Northern and Southern California, including San Ramon Valley Unified, Lodi Unified, and San Juan Unified.  He also supported special education programs in Contra Costa and San Joaqin counties.  In his last position until his retirement in 1992, Pete managed programs for both exceptionally gifted and developmentally disabled students for San Diego Unified.  Pete was a tireless advocate for students, always standing up for what he thought was best for them, whatever their skill or aptitude level. 

In an era when it's so popular to criticize public school systems and their employees, what is too easily overlooked is the example set by people like Pete - someone who devoted countless hours and energy to serving future generations.

Pete LOVED trains, and one of his great passions was volunteering at the Sacramento Railroad Museum, beginning in 1996.  He served in many capacities, from car attendant to ticket agent, brakeman, conductor, and - finally! - Trainmaster, in 2005.  Always the teacher, Pete helped mentor new volunteers by managing the student brakeman training, and - always a leader - he organized the freight and yard activities into a formal railroad operations program.  

Pete developed some very dear friendships through the years in his work at the Museum, and particularly in the past few years he was often sustained by the camaraderie of his close friends Glenn Wilson, Ken Wyman, and Chuck Maley - The Brotherhood of Mountain Railroaders, Local 402.

Over his many years of volunteer service he acquired a vast collection of railroad shirts and hats, which he wore proudly.  Sharing his love of trains was a highlight of his life - his face lit up when he shared stories and information with museum visitors with infectious enthusiasm.  Not a train person?  Well, you probably were by the time you got off the train, if you were lucky enough to have Pete as your conductor!