Peter A. Perez

Nov. 14, 1939 - Oct. 28, 2007

Peter A Perez died Sunday, Oct. 28 in Sequim with his wife and children at his side after an 18-month battle with cancer. Pete was born Nov. 14, 1939, in Worland, Wyo., to Pete M. and Bridget Mildred (Whatley) Perez. The family farmed in Wyoming and Montana before moving to Moses Lake when the land there came under irrigation from the Columbia River. Pete graduated from Moses Lake High School in 1957 and attended his 50-year reunion there in September. The farm was a family affair and Pete spent much of his younger years in that effort.

On Dec. 2 1961, Pete married Janet Cathryn Earl in Olympia, a marriage that spanned nearly 47 years. In April of 1962 Pete was drafted into the U.S. Army, and spent most of his tour in Frankfurt, Germany where their daughter was born.

After the Army Pete continued to farm with the family in Moses Lake, when he decided to return to Central Washington College and obtained a B.A. in accounting and in January 1970 joined Arthur Anderson, spending six years both in the Seattle and Boise offices.

The experience auditing in the wood products industries would lead this former farmer to spend the rest of his life working in wood-related industries both in Washington and British Columbia.

Pete retired from Lindal Cedar Homes in March of 2005 where he had managed manufacturing plants in Tacoma and Richmond, British Columbia since 1989. He will be remembered by many involved in wood products in Canada and the Northwest.

After retirement Pete continued with his own consulting company World Wood Products. Pete and Jan moved from their home of 29 years in Bellevue to build their dream retirement home in Sequim in 2005 with a view of the Olympics and all the sunshine. This was a great comfort to Pete during his illness.

Pete is survived by his wife Jan, daughter Jolene and her husband Mark Detillion of Seattle, son Craig Perez of Seattle, brothers Robert (Jan) of Anchorage, Alaska, Joseph (Sheila), Bellevue, sisters Dolores Lemm, Wilsonville, Ore., Mary (Jack) Maver, Westminster, Calif., Peggy (Richard) Palafox, El Paso, Texas, and many wonderful nieces and nephews, along with his mother-in-law, Jewell. His many friends also survive him from his childhood, and along with his golf and fishing buddies and the "wood rats" will keep his spirit alive with their stories and fond memories.

Pete enjoyed to golf, fish and travel, and just sitting with his friends and telling stories. He requested that he not have a funeral, so the family is inviting all of those who knew him to attend a gathering to tell those stories again on Nov. 12 at the Golf Club at Newcastle in Bellevue from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

In lieu of flowers remembrances can be sent to The Volunteer Hospice of Clallam County, as we will always be grateful to these kind and gracious volunteers as they helped us make his passing as comfortable and peaceful as possible.