Peter Kibble Freer

1948 - 2020

PETER KIBBLE FREER June 28, 1948 – September 25, 2020

"Mine has been an ordinary and practical
life, neither the result of a grand plan nor
an early certainty, but instead, has grown
incrementally over the course of many years."

-Peter Freer, 2018

As if 2020 hadn't already given us countless losses. Long-time Juneauite Peter Freer passed away on September 25, 2020 at his seasonal home in Green Valley, AZ after being diagnosed with Stage 3 esophageal cancer in March and Valley Fever in June.

Peter was born on June 28, 1948 in Seattle, where his parents Dick and Roberta had resettled after leaving Fairbanks during WWII. In the spring of 1949, Dick accepted a position in the territorial department of health services and the family moved back to
Alaska. They settled on Sixth Street on Starr Hill, where Peter and his older brothers David and Michael welcomed sister Cherry in 1953. Theirs was a typical post-war upbringing - Juneau's natural beauty and accessible wilderness provided endless hours of hiking, berry picking, exploring old mining tunnels, and skiing at the old ski area along the Dan Moller trail.

Blessed with an inquisitive mind and endless curiosity, his was a lifelong quest for knowledge. Many of the teachers he had were able to fuel this passion, which continued almost to the day he died. He leaves behind numerous online newspaper subscriptions
that complemented his continual radio listening, an addiction to talking heads on TV, and reading/rereading many books.

He was an active participant in life; saying "yes" to opportunities and experiences was something that began in high school and
continued throughout Peter's adulthood. While he was in many activities at JDHS, it was being on the senior prom court and
"narrowly" (as he liked to point out) losing prom king to lifelong friend Karl Schoeppe that always brought a smile to his face. He graduated in 1966, but continued friendships with quite a few classmates, helping with reunions, attending the occasional class
get-together, and having Monday brunches at the Sandpiper.

Peter attended the University of Puget Sound, earning a B.A. in English Literature in 1972. This eventually landed him on the trans-Alaska pipeline where he drove a 4,000-gallon fuel tanker and became a Teamster, of which he was always proud

After returning to school in 1979 and earning a B.S. in Environmental Studies from the Huxley School at Western Washington University, it was time to return home to Juneau. On November 4th, 1980, he met Sharon Gaiptman at an election night party at
the Baranof. They married in 1983, but celebrated the night they met as their anniversary. Daughter Becca was born in 1990.

Peter worked for Representative Jim Duncan until joining the Department of Community & Regional Affairs in 1981, where he stayed for 21 years, working with rural Alaskan governments, especially those in Southeast. He left state employment to become the planning supervisor for the City & Borough, followed by stints in former Governor Bill Walker's office and with the Alaska Municipal League, before returning to state work in Alaska's Department of Transportation.

As much as Peter loved government work, it was the year he spent co-managing Perseverance Theatre with Merry Ellefson that may have provided him with the most challenges and ultimately, greatest pleasure. He was not only proud of that year, but also
of digging out "the Mud Room" to provide additional storage space, serving on the PT and Theatre in the Rough boards of directors, and acting – most frequently and recently with Theatre in the Rough. He will forever be remembered for his moving dance in Cyrano de Bergerac.

Peter's life was filled with community service. He served on the CBJ Assembly, the Juneau Youth Services Board, the Gruening Park board, and worked with the Juneau Arts Council, the New JACC board, and more. In Green Valley, Peter continued his love
of community and in early 2020 began a first term as chair of his homeowners association.

Peter was quite humble and always truly surprised when he was singled out for an award or honor, among them: Perseverance Theatre's Bishop Kenny Award, the Kathy Kolkhurst Ruddy Award for the Arts, and in 2016 the University of Alaska Southeast's Meritorious Service Award.

There's a great deal more that could be said about Peter: his mid-life return to running and the years he trained for and ran with dear teammates in the Klondike Road Relay; his deep love of hiking with beloved friends that took him (on separate trips) along the west coast of the US, to the Slovenian Alps, and over the Chilkoot Pass multiple times; his travels through the US, Europe, and even Cuba; his artistic endeavors, which included playing the piano and writing poetry; and in Green Valley, joining Tattersallers, taking lessons to fine tune his drawing skills, and then discovering lapidary and silversmithing.

A great listener and problem-solver, Peter was a compassionate, honest, and fair person who always tried to do the right thing. Perhaps the following, taken from the memoir he wrote for Becca in 2018, sums him up best:

My story has no remarkable achievements
or one-of-a-kind successes, no daring adventures
or great expeditions; but has found deep
roots from my upbringing, and in adult life,
from my marriage to Sharon and the birth
and continuing delight of our daughter Becca.
I never sailed the Pacific Ocean, climbed
Mt. McKinley or hiked the full Pacific Crest
Trail, but my life, like so many, has been filled
with poignant moments, earned achievements,
unhappy surprises, bear hugs with
loved ones and all the other circumstances
and events that characterize what I think of
as an 'ordinary' but purposeful life.

Peter Freer will be sorely missed by Sharon, Becca and spouse Evana; sister Cherry Freer Murphy, her sons Brian and Scott and their families; brother David Freer, his wife Paula, daughter Jordan, son Jared and his family, and David and Marcia Nye's son, Justin Freer and his family. He was preceded in death by his parents, Dick and Roberta, and his brother Michael. Peter also leaves behind numerous friends, especially in Juneau and Roseburg, OR, who he considered to be "friends who are family."

A celebration of his life is tentatively planned for the summer of 2021. Memorial contributions can be made in Peter's honor to Juneau's Cancer Connection (PO Box 20329, Juneau, AK 99802), the Valley Fever Center for Excellence (1656 E Mabel St, Tucson, AZ 85724), or a non-profit of choice.