Peter Kallgren

PETER WYMAN KALLGREN





Peter W Kallgren died on the evening of October. 15, 2008. His passing was quick and  unexpected.  He lost consciousness at home with good friends and his beloved  dogs at his side and was pronounced dead at Lander Valley Regional Hospital after all efforts at resuscitation had failed.





Pete was born on August 11, 1955 and his early years were in Redding, Connecticut, where from a remarkably early age he showed an affinity for motors and vehicles, starting with lawn mowers and tractors and quickly involving cars and trucks. Mostly this worked well, though there were some incidents such as the morning he drove the company delivery truck into the muddy yard and buried it to the axle. It was only later that his parents acknowledged that it was a remarkable driving performance for a child to young to reach clutch, brake, and accelerator while also steering or being able to see out the windshield. He attended Joel Barlow High School in Redding and later Syracuse University.





Pete worked for the Lindquist Supply Company in Bridgeport, CT and became involved with computerized inventory management back when a computer took up an entire room. For a time he worked as a truck driver, backing semi trailer loads of water into suburban back yards to fill pools in areas where water was being rationed. Pete ran his own landscaping business in Redding. This was a successful enterprise, though those who knew him suspected a lot of the appeal was all the neat machinery he got to use. During his time in Connecticut, Pete was also a volunteer fireman and EMT.





Later Pete was ready for something different. He moved to Lander and he started working for the Mexico branch of the National Outdoor Leadership School at the base in Baja California Sur, Mexico. He served in various roles there, from Equipment to Operations Manager, and was generally indispensable. Pete's dedication meant that maintenance and training were raised to such a level that vehicles rarely had mechanical problems. Those who have driven in Baja will appreciate what that means. Not surprisingly, equipment inventory and ordering took similar leaps forward.





Eventually Pete left the Mexico operation to build and enjoy his beautiful cabin outside of Lander and to be a more stable member of the Lander community. He worked in the Transportation department of NOLS and loved the many adventures driving busses of eager students all over the Western US in all kinds of conditions. Eventually health concerns led him to stop driving professionally, and he became the purchasing manager for NOLS, a position he held until his death. He was a master of logistics and got gear moved all over the world to support NOLS.





Pete had health problems all his life, and over time they became more troublesome,yet most people were not aware of his arteriosclerosis because he never complained and it was well controlled until the end. Pete was a loyal friend and confidant to many, with a big heart, patient advice and a great sense of humor. He leaves many friends in Connecticut, Mexico, Lander, and everywhere people got to know him. Pete was the guy who was always there when you needed help, and there are many stories of his thoughtfulness, loyalty, and humor. We will set up a web site for his friends to share stories and photos, contact rachladasky@aol.com for details.





Pete is survived by his mother, Bethany Marshall, by his brothers David Kallgren and Carl Kallgren III, by his twin sister Eliza Bethany, nieces Rachel and Maya Ladasky, nephew Carl Kallgren IV, and sisters in law Leslie van Barselaar and Wendy Kallgren. He also leaves many friends of different ages, backgrounds, and nationalities as his extended family. In his quiet way he was a very remarkable guy. He touched many lives and he is sorely missed.








There will be a celebration of Pete's life at the Lander Community Center at 3:00 pm on Sunday, November 16. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his name to the NOLS Annual Fund, 284 Lincoln St, Lander, WY 82520.  Friends of Bill W. can make a donation there in Pete's name.