Peter Roth

1942 - 2024

Peter Hans Roth

1942 - 2024

Salt Lake City, UT-Dr. Peter H. Roth passed away on October 26, 2024 in Salt Lake City, UT.

Peter was honest, patient, and wise. His family adored him. His understated sense of humor brought joy to his family and colleagues.

Peter was a professor of paleoceanography and micropaleontology at the University of Utah for 40 years. He especially loved to teach. In his research, Dr. Roth used microscopic fossils to understand the climates of the prehistoric earth. After receiving the ETH Medal for his dissertation at ETH Zurich, he worked at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography before joining the University of Utah's Department of Geology & Geophysics. He also taught as a Fullbright Scholar at Cairo University in Egypt.

Peter's love of the mountains began in childhood, living in the Swiss Alps and skiing down to school. He loved skiing and climbing mountains, and chose a career and home that would let him spend his life in the wilderness. He passed on his love of nature to his children.

Peter loved travel, and shared that love with his wife Buba, whom he met on a plane from Moscow to Leningrad. He traveled off the beaten path, spending time in Siberia, Alaska, Egypt, Chile, Russia, Algeria, the Caucuses, and oceanic research vessels that crossed the globe.

Peter loved reading, and every night he would read from the latest French and German novels his sister sent from Europe.

Peter is survived by Ljubica "Buba" Roth his wife of 36 years, his children Martin (Katie), Stephanie (Jeremy) Estes, Anna (Alex), and Barbara; four grandchildren: Blake Estes, Ava, Ethan Estes, and Liam; his sister Ursula (Peter) Abt, former wife Gabriele; and cousin Rose - Marie. He was predeceased by his mother Christine; father Max; cousin Hans - Peter; and companion dogs Argus & George.

There will be a visitation on Saturday November 9th, 2024 at noon at City View Mortuary in Salt Lake City, immediately followed by a memorial service at 12:30PM.