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Peter Rock Obituary
Peter Thomas Rock, age 72, died on April 3, 2023, in San Francisco, CA, after a long illness.
Born in El Paso, TX, where his father, a USAF Captain, was stationed at Fort Bliss, the family moved to New Orleans, LA, and then to Warwick, RI, in 1955.
He attended Warwick Veterans Memorial High School, where he was a champion wrestler, played football, and served as Vice President of his senior class. Peter was an avid maker, and in high school, he won the state science fair, restored a 1927 Model-A Ford, and built a self designed plywood hydroplane, among many other projects.
He graduated in 1969 and went on to attend the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He then moved to Colorado, eventually settling in Vail and Edwards, where he started White River Construction. In the mid-80s, he moved his business to California and continued his construction work in the Bernal Heights neighborhood of San Francisco. There he met his best friend, Edna Henley. They lived together with a series of beloved Irish Wolf Hounds, Rottweilers, and Rhodesian Ridgebacks. They traveled together extensively and pursued their passion for downhill skiing in the Sierra Nevadas.
Peter continued his love of all things automotive, restoring a 1962 Jaguar Mark III, and his long term project: a 1977 Ford 250 4x4 pickup truck that he bought new and rebuilt many times.
He was diagnosed with lung disease in 2020 and received long-term care at the Jewish Home in San Francisco. He passed peacefully in his sleep on April 3, 2023.
The son of the departed Dr. H. Gerald Rock and Margaret (Peggy) Paine Rock of Warwick, RI, he is survived by his brother John of Cranston, RI, sister Allison of Portsmouth, RI, brother Michael of Brooklyn, NY, friend Edna Henley of San Francisco, CA, and multiple nieces and nephews. His sister, Elizabeth of Cranston, RI, died in 2022.
There will be no formal service, his ashes will be scattered in San Francisco Bay. His friends and family will always keep him in our hearts as a true free spirit.
A lifelong dog lover, Peter had many as his faithful friends throughout his life. Please make any donations in his name to a local animal shelter
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
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