Peter Kovalenko

1939 - 2023

Peter Kovalenko

March 9, 1939 - November 9, 2023

Puyallup, Washington - Peter Kovalenko was born on March 9th, 1939, in Flasher, North Dakota. He was the youngest of five children born to George and Katherine Kovalenko. Not long after his birth, the family moved to the Puget Sound area, ultimately settling in Sumner, where Pete would attend school and get into all sorts of mischief.

He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Sharron Ann Moore, his daughter, Cynthia Hodgins, sons Peter, Kent, Kurt, and Nick, four grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and his sisters, Katherine Anderle and Dorothy Cooper.

Upon graduating from high school in 1957, Pete joined the army, and when he departed, he purchased a cabin on Lake Tapps and married Sharron, a graduate of Franklin Pierce. Here they raised their family, and Pete would spend his career in the meat industry, working for Auburn Packing Plant, West Coast Grocery, and eventually, ran his own butcher shop in Sumner, cleverly known as "Pete's Meats."

Pete could never sit still, and it didn't take long for him to decide he didn't care for retirement. He decided to go back to work, drive a school bus for Puyallup, and he loved those kids nearly as much as his own.

Pete had a work ethic that you don't see much anymore. He loved being outdoors in nature; he was at home in the wilderness, and loved to hunt and fish. He spent hours tending his smokehouse and enjoyed making sausage and sharing it with others.

He loved people and making friends came as easily to him. It didn't matter if he was in Germany or France, Italy or Japan, Hong Kong, or Ireland, New York or Sumner; he made friends wherever he went and collected them like precious jewels. Every story he told, and he was gifted at storytelling, included the friends and experiences he made during his life.

Pete was filled with an incredible sense of gratitude for his many blessings, and took true joy in the simplest things that life had to offer. Above all, Pete was defined by his family. He treasured every member and never missed an opportunity to tell them how proud he was of their accomplishments.

His Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, March 9th at 6024 79th St. SE, Puyallup between 1:00 and 4:00.