Peter Lawrence John Pashler

Peter Lawrence John Pashler, 78, died unexpectedly Wednesday, November 26, 2025 in Amherst, NY while visiting family for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Peter was born October 20,1947 in Canada, the son of Ted Pashler and Marianne Moreland Pashler. His family immigrated to Schenectady, New York when he was three. Following high school, he enrolled in DePauw University where he majored in English and minored in speech and drama. After graduation in 1969 he took a job as an English teacher in Rochester, New Hampshire. Due to overcrowding, he had to share a classroom with another English teacher, Patricia Dunlap. Initially they argued about space and bulletin boards. She was neat and liked bulletin boards; he was not so neat and saw no value in bulletin boards. After two years they came to a reconciliation of sorts; after a third year, they were married on April 22,1972.

Following their marriage, they moved to Illinois where Peter continued his education by enrolling in a program in Labor Relations at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, a beginning that opened new paths for him and lead to a highly impactful career in collective bargaining and labor relations.

His first position was on the staff of the newly created Illinois Labor Relations Board which was responsible for drafting the state's collective bargaining regulations and directing the state's first representation elections for public employees.

In 1974 the state of Iowa passed a law establishing collective bargaining for public employees, and Peter was hired as the first Executive Director of the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB). Peter served the public interest in collective bargaining in Iowa for many years, gaining a reputation as a highly effective mediator. He was subsequently appointed a member of PERB by Governor Ray and later reappointed by Governor Branstad. While at PERB, Peter served as chair of the Midwest Consortium of Neutral Agencies where he crafted labor statutes for nine Midwest state governments.

In the mid-eighties, Peter again demonstrated his passion for learning and his commitment to the principles of collective bargaining when he enrolled at Drake University Law School. After graduation, Peter joined the Ahlers and Cooney Law Firm. During his career at the firm, he represented many educational entities including the Des Moines School District, Des Moines University and Southeast Polk School district. Throughout his years with Ahlers and Cooney, he also served as an Adjunct Professor at Drake teaching labor relations. All his life, Peter cared deeply about the quality of public life and education. His passion for learning, his belief in equity, and his love for his family were evident in all of the choices he made.

In 2017 Peter retired to fulfill a lifelong dream of spending time with friends and family at Lake George, NY. Nowhere was Peter happier than on his boat with family teaching his 'First Mates' to appreciate the beauty of the lake and the serenity of the Adirondack Mountains. Peter first experienced this beauty with his parents and two siblings, enjoying skiing, swimming and hiking. His love of the region deepened with his experiences as a camper and then a counselor at Camp Chingachgook. Today, this legacy continues. All four of his granddaughters now attend the Camp and have come to share Peter's sense of stewardship for the lake. His oldest grandchild will return to the camp next summer as a counselor-itraining.

Peter is survived by his wife, Patricia of West Des Moines; sons Chris (Kathleen Devereaux) Pashler of Amherst, NY and Bryce Pashler of Des Moines, Madhavi Pashler; and four grandchildren: Amelia, Nora, Rosie, Siya; siblings: Josephine (Jurgen Schnermann) Briggs, Hal (Christine Harris) Pashler; sisters-in-law: Judy (Peter) Waligora, Teri Parker; nephews: Martin (Paresma Patel) Schnermann, Nikolaus (Darien Capron) Schnermann.

A Memorial Service to celebrate Peter's life will be held on March 7th, 2026 at 11:00 AM at Plymouth Church in Des Moines. Memorial contributions may be made to Plymouth Congregational Church, Doctors Without Borders or Lake George Land Conservatory.

Online condolences are welcome at www.IlesCares.com.