Ambrose "Pete" Peters passed away suddenly on Saturday, February 24, 2024, in his home in Spokane, WA. He was 93. Born in Broad Channel, New York on June 10, 1930, to Anna and Frank Peters, he was the youngest of 4 boys. He attended elementary school in Broad Channel and high school in Brooklyn at St. Francis Prep, taking a bus and the subway to get there. He participated in several sports…excelling in swimming. Pete attended Sienna College in Albany, N.Y., graduating with a degree in Business Administration. In 1952, Pete enlisted in the Army. He was stationed in France. In '53, while on a short leave, he met Margaret "Peggy" Healy. Three years later, on June 30, they were married. In 1957, Pete was working at The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company (A&P Grocery) while taking some classes at Hofstra University. A classmate encouraged him to apply for a position at IBM. Pete was hired on, and so his career began. In '58, Pete became a father, with the arrival of their first son, Robert. In '59, Pete took a transfer with IBM, which took the family to Los Angeles, CA. They settled in Fullerton, where they made many friends, both in their neighborhood and church community. Pete and Peggy had 5 more children, Thomas, John, Paul, Matthew and Peggy Anne. Pete was very active in Toastmasters, Knights of Columbus and Boy Scouts.

In '68, Pete wanted to go on an adventure so he moved his family, by cruise ship, to Sydney, Australia. They settled in Avalon, 25 miles north of Sydney. Pete continued to work in the Office Products Sales Division with IBM, making the 100% Sales Club multiple years. During their 10 years down under, Pete was very involved in the activities of his children, as they played cricket, soccer and netball.

In 1978, it was time for Pete to take his family back to the U.S. Once again, they sailed across the Pacific Ocean. IBM had a position available in Yakima, WA, where, coincidentally, a childhood friend of Pete's, Bud Stillwaggon, was living with his family. In 1984, Pete was transferred to Spokane, WA. He retired from IBM in 1987. Not quite ready for retirement living, Pete went to work, part time, for the Golden Arches, putting in about 8 years. In 1994, Pete became a grandfather and over the course of the next 10 years, he was blessed with 5 more grandchildren. He was there for them when he could be, picking them up from daycare, taking them to and from school, watching them play soccer, baseball, basketball, volleyball, attending school programs and graduations, both high school and college.

Pete had several hobbies…stamp collecting, model trains, travel (planes, road trips, airstream, and most recently cruising)…was a huge Yankees fan and enjoyed college football and basketball…the UW Huskies and GU Bulldogs being his favorites. Pete was an avid reader, being very much a history buff, and at one time had a collection of over 8,000 books that he had catalogued on his computer. He could tell you the location of each book…what shelf on which bookshelf and in which room of the house.  One would be hard-pressed to find more than a handful that weren't non-fiction.

Pete is preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Peggy, his 3 brothers and 3 sons…Matthew, John and Paul. He is survived by sons Robert (Gayle), Tom (Bobbi), daughter Peggy (Brian) Hughes and 6 grandchildren, Cameron & Halle, Morgan and Kylie, Maggie (Corbin) Enquist and Jack Jarvis.

In lieu of flowers, a donation of a book to a local library or charity would be greatly appreciated.