Longtime Homer resident, Peter C. Roberts, 70, died unexpectedly in November 2013 in Homer.

A celebration of life potluck and memorial is 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 30, 2013, at The Down East Saloon in Homer. All are welcome to attend and are encouraged to bring a “Pete Story.” 

Pete Roberts was born in November of 1943 in New York City, New York. In 1961 he joined the U.S. Army, where he attained the rank of sergeant before he was honorably discharged in 1964. After leaving the service, he moved to Colorado where he worked as a surveyor across the Southwest, ran trail crews in Rocky Mountain National Park and studied geology at the University of Colorado in Boulder. 

In June of 1972, he moved to Alaska. He lived and worked in Denali National Park and Fairbanks before relocating to Homer in 1973. There, he established and operated a cattle and sheep ranch near Ohlson Mountain. In addition to ranching, Pete worked as both a log and frame builder in Homer. Later, he completed a degree in house design at the University of Alaska Anchorage and designed and built numerous houses in the area. 

Pete was involved with many organizations in Homer, including the Kenai Peninsula Farm Bureau Chapter, The Homer Soil and Water Conservation District, Fox River Cattleman’s Association, Concerned Citizens Against Annexation and Kachemak Emergency Services Area. Over the years, he also ski patrolled at Eldora Mountain, coached Homer Little League teams, was a lifetime NRA member, volunteered at Homer Hospice and ran trail crews in Kachemak Bay State Park.

The family wrote, “Pete loved the outdoors of the American West and Alaska, where he lived an adventurous life riding horses, hunting and just seeing the country. He had a passion for craftsman style fine woodworking, was a ready mentor to anyone in need of advice and he always made time for a good story. We will miss him and his memory will always bring a smile to our faces.”

He is survived by his wife Madrene René Hoyt of Homer; son Luke Roberts and his partner Nicole Kinsman of California and Fairbanks; Luke’s mother, Francie Roberts of Homer; his brother and family, David, Rosemary and Rachel Roberts, all of Brunswick, Maine, and many dear cousins and in-laws. 

Memorial donations may be made in memory of Pete to the Hospice of Homer, P.O. Box 4174 Homer, AK 99603, or the Friends of Kachemak Bay State Park, 95 Sterling Highway, Suite 2, Homer, AK 99603. 

Please contact Luke Roberts at 719-660-2561 for further information regarding the celebration of life event.