Peter Anger

Peter Douglas Anger passed away on January 16 in Cedar City, Utah. Peter was born on June 16, 1956 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He spent most of his life in and around Columbia, Missouri before finding himself at home near Zion National Park - an area where he found beauty, peace and cherished solitude. Peter was an accomplished artist and photographer, widely recognized for his success in portrait, landscape and abstract light-painting work. He combined his deep spiritual connection to nature to insightful landscape images.
Peter grew up in Kalamazoo when kids played outside until the streetlights came on. Home base was a rambling Victorian house with secret passageways. The Anger back yard provided everything a kid could want and was the center of neighborhood childhood activity. It consisted of a wooden fort, Tarzan rope swings that hung from the massive maple tree, a mulberry tree that provided a view of the world, and a walnut tree whose fruit doubled as grenades.
Peter spent his teen years living with his dad and stepmother in Columbia, Missouri, where he loved spending time on the family hobby farm and camping in a cave that was carved out of a high creekbank. He graduated from Hickman High School, home of the Kewpies. In 1978, he completed his B.A. in Communications, with a specialization in Cinema & Photography from Southern Illinois University.
From 1985 to 2018, Peter created, owned and operated Helios Studio, a commercial photography and design studio in Columbia. He also enjoyed many wonderful years with his former wife, Leandra Spangler - local teacher and fiber artist of Bear Creek Paperworks.
Throughout his life, Peter enjoyed numerous photo shows and recognition, recently including: 2023 Pete's Zion blog, https://adreamunfoldsinzion.blogspot.com/; 2020 "Valley of a thousand rainbows", Public Library, Cedar City, UT; 2019-2020 Adobe Gallery a Group Show, Kanab, UT; 2018 Resident Arts "Naked light" exhibit of recent works, Columbia, MO; 2017 Balsamo Warehouse "Light Paintings & new Zion mandalas", Columbia, MO.
Peter loved the outdoors and was active in snow skiing, spelunking, horseback riding, camping, rock climbing, mountaineering, fly fishing, and quarry cliff jumping. Eventually, he also became proficient at chess, the Game of Go and darts. Peter was also a deep thinker and prolific reader on wide-ranging topics, and cherished in-depth philosophical discussions on his latest literary discovery.
Peter launched his professional photography career in 1979 with portrait work, nature landscapes and micro nature. But he found his true passion when he discovered and advanced the field of abstract light painting photography, where vibrant images are created by manipulating a light source to illuminate the film and camera sensors.
Toward the end of his life, Peter found a blissful balance of spiritualism and his love of nature with his artistry. He often climbed and camped in remote areas in Zion National Park to capture the perfect light in canyons.
Peter is preceded in death by his parents, Douglas George Anger of Columbia, MO and Elizabeth Anger Skulstad of Beaufort, NC.
He is survived by his sisters, Sally Anger of Beaufort, NC and Susan Anger Barnett (Keith) of Raleigh, NC; niece and nephew Kaitlin and Daniel Barnett of Raleigh, NC; cousins, Ann Cary Simpson (Bland Simpson) of Mebane, NC, Carolyn Kindell (Greg Wilson) of Tallahassee, FL, and Tad Kindell (Linda) of Greenville NC; stepmother, Kathleen Anger of Portland, OR; and former partner, Leandra Spangler of Columbia, MO.
A virtual celebration of Peter's life is being planned. If you would like to attend or share thoughts about Peter, please email RememberPeteAnger@gmail.com. Final arrangements are under the direction of Southern Utah Mortuary. Online condolences may be left at www.mortuary.org.
In lieu of flowers, please donate generously to Advocates for the West or Coalition to Protect America's National Parks.