Christmas Messages

The sweet note that arrived today from Danielle reminded me (after my tears dried up) that I need to make mention about this holiday season.

Your notes, pictures and cards have been so appreciated. We cannot have what we want for Christmas this year, so your remembrances to us are filling the void we feel for our Peter. It is so helpful to know that we are remembered and most importantly, that you are remembering Pete and praying for him.

His grave site was filling up by this past Sunday with flowers, wreaths and mementos that people have dropped off. Some are marked by the sender but most are not. While it tears me up to see all the adornment, I am also comforted in knowing that Pete is not forgotten.

Thank you for staying in touch with us and continuing to help us on our grief journey. The love of friends and family sustains.

Merry Christmas to all. We love you and count you in our blessings.
Helene

UD Tree Memorial

On a beautiful sunny fall afternoon on November 1st (All Souls' Day) over 65 friends and family gathered at UD for a memorial mass service, led by Fr John Putka, followed by a Buckeye Tree dedication in Pete's memory.

Dan Rodenfels and Richie Witka planned and organized a lovely memorial service, a "ghetto style" party on the Sigma Chi lawn (thanks to Greg Rodenfels), and a smashing (so I am told!) Pete Gruber night at BW's. It was a day full of grace for us- the opportunity to remember and pray for Pete, the opportunity to see the friends that Pete loved so much, and the opportunity to see the planted tree and memorial plaque. The tree sits next to the new PAC in bird's eye view of all the places Pete lived while at Dayton. We like the location and found his peace there.

Paul said the entire day was 'life coming full circle" for us. And that it was. As we headed to the tree for dedication after the mass, I found two of my own UD college roommates waiting there for us, having traveled a distance. And parents of many of Pete's friends. And Pete's UD friends from all across the country. It was a precious and heart wrenching sight. We were comforted to know how loved our son was and what wonderful friends he enjoyed.

I kept thinking of the UD mission - "Learn, Lead and Serve". I believe UD should be very proud of the class of 2004. You all have certainly embraced those principles and you are living them everyday in the work you do and love you carry for each other and extend to others.

Bob, Paul and I are honored by your tribute to Pete and your love for him. We thank you for memorializing his life on campus and hope you will visit his tree whenever you return to Dayton. I hope you can keep his memory alive in your hearts as he had a passion for UD life and friends.

Much love to our fellow Flyers,
Helene

UD Memorial Service

For those of you who know (here's a reminder) and those of you who don't, the tree dedication and memorial service at UD is a go. Please see below for specific dates and times.

When: November 1st, 1pm EST
Where: UD's campus, adjacent to the new rec-plex, 500 block of Lowes.
What: Folks have chipped in to plant a tree and place a plaque in Pete's memory. There will be a short service at the tree and a "ghetto-style" reception to follow at the corner of Kiefaber and Evanston.

Out of town? We have a special rate at the Dayton Marriott available thru 10/17. Click here to reserve your room.

Also, if you plan to attend, it would be great if you could bring a small appetizer or dessert to the reception.

Looking forward to seeing everyone is a few weeks.

Pics From the Grubers

Hey everyone, the Grubers wanted to share a few pictures with everyone from Pete's celebration of life a few weeks back. The shots here are both UD group shots, 65 UD grads/attendees in total, pretty amazing.

If, by chance, anyone would like a higher-quality version of either image, please let me know and I will send them to you personally. Just shoot me an email to let me know: butz.andrew@gmail.com.

I thank my God every time I think of you

Phil 1:3-11

We laid Pete to rest on Saturday morning, July 5th, at Oak Hills Cemetery in Glendale. Our family, close friends and Pete's "inner posse" were part of a private and quiet ceremony, led by Fr Fay from St Gabriel. The above scripture reading was our basis for Pete's service, beginning at the funeral home and closing at the graveside. Thanksgiving to God for Pete, the lives he touched and the mercies we have been granted.

We were unable to see Pete for one last time but that did not stop a few people from bringing memento's of his favorite things that adorned the outside of his casket:
-his "retired" dealer license plate tag, #25, signed by his former co-workers at Busam Nissan
-a game ticket from the Green Bay Packers game he attended last September
-a golf score card from Black Wolf Run on 7/5/07 when he beat his dad
-the game ticket from the Ohio State- Michigan game he attended with Paul last November
-a Christmas picture of he and Leigh, with the tree top angel appearing to stand on his head
-his baby blanket and baptismal candle

We remain ever grateful to everyone for the outpouring of love, compassion and comfort. The lake people in Tennessee were there for us to the very end, providing assistance and support to Pete's safety until the rescue team could get to the lake. For over an hour, local resident Harvey Mills and the Ohio police officer who spotted Pete, kept watch over his body and kept boat traffic at bay until the sheriff and detectives arrived. We are forever indebted to the kindness and love of strangers; a part of God's mercy to us.

The letters continue to arrive daily and we have lost count after 500 cards. Thank you for sharing your stories about the positive impact Peter made to your lives and for taking the time to write to us. Our joy grows as we realize what a fabulous life and friends Pete had. A continuation of God's mercy to us.

We are expecting to receive autopsy results in about a month, per conversation with the Univ of TN coroner. Extensive testing will be performed due to the interference from the time in the water, and this will take over a month.

The picture of Pete at the top of the blog page is one taken at Zach and Kate Hick's wedding. We like the happiness on Pete's face and hope you will join us in remembering him that way forever.

Much love, thanks and blessings-
Helene, Bob and Paul

Thank God.

Found and Coming Home

The TN Campbell County Sheriff, Gary Perkins, called this evening around 8pm to advise us that Pete's recovery is complete. Pete's body surfaced today and was spotted at 7pm by an off-duty police officer. The Univ of Tenn Medical Center in Knoxville will conduct an autopsy tomorrow and Pete will be returned home thereafter. We will lay Peter to rest in our family burial plot in Glendale at Oak Hill Cemetery.

We are thankful and grateful to so many people for the love, support and compassion given to us over the last 36 days. We are in awe of how many lives Pete touched and impacted in his short life. We are proud of the gentleman he was and are grateful for the love of neighbors, friends and family who have seen us through this tragedy and loss.

Blessings and love,
Helene, Bob and Paul

The Little Things

The apartment is bare, except for a bucket of dry wall compound to patch all the nail holes. As I looked around before I locked up Saturday night, I couldn’t help but think how much things have changed in such a short time. Finishing the move this weekend, I had some time to reflect in one of the places I got to know Pete best.

While we all search for answers/meaning/healing in our own ways, I came to some of my own. As shock is replaced by reality, I find that the emptiness of the apartment is reflective of how so many are feeling, including myself. As challenging as it is, I’ve been searching for some hope/inspiration to what else it could mean.

The first thing that came to my mind was the story Mrs. Gruber referenced, and Pete’s resounding message within. He set out, at a very early age, to be the best person he could be to everyone around him. He was always there for me, and many others, no matter what the situation. He saw the importance of the little things, the smallest and simplest gestures that can have a huge impact.

Trying to put things into perspective, I came to the conclusion that the apartment metaphor isn’t just an ending, rather, a new beginning, one that I came face to face with today…

“I found a fourth!” was one of my favorite sayings from Pete. I can’t think of the last time I was on a golf course without him in the cart next to me. Today was the first time in a long time that I’ll head to the course without him. At times, I caught myself waiting to hear him call me “Sally” after shorting an easy putt or pop out of the tree line with six balls, none of them his. From keeping tabs on Kurt’s real score and understanding how golf carts handle on wet surfaces, to discussing matters of the heart, our hopes, dreams and ambitions; it was special. There was a lot more to those days than 18 holes.

As much as I’m going to think about and miss him for everything down the road: weddings, kids, getting old together. It’s going to be the little things: golf, Jeopardy, love of hot sauce and countless other “not so random anymore” things that will always put a smile on my face and keep his memory, impact and friendship alive forever in my mind and in my heart.

Moving Day

Andy Butz will need a little encouragement and love; we finished moving Pete's furniture this evening. It was totally hard for us to not only do this but to also look at the empty apartment. We know it is hard on Andy too.

We were blessed with a gift from friends who own a moving company. They supplied labor and the truck and in 3 hours, we have it all cleared out. These friends would not take payment from us so I thought we'd share their business information and if any of you need moving services in the future, these are great people to call: Move It Now 513-942-7225. Greg Brothers and his son Tony donated their time to help us.

My role was to strip the bed linens (I may never wash Pete's pillow case), finish clearing out the small stuff and carry out all the full dresser drawers to the truck. When we arrived home, the truck had to stay parked on the street (of course!) and so I was shlepping those drawers all the way into the house and up the stairs. At one point, I swear I heard Pete giggling about the huffing and puffing effort we were putting out. So that got my interest up. And as I walked the drawers that long distance, I started to notice the stuff that was inside of them. Amazing, all the stuff he took from us! My styptic pencil, my lotion, my first aid box, and more. Even my special worn out paddle tennis balls which I use in the dryer when laundering my down comforters. Son of a gun, that kid had my stuff!! I swear he laughed out right at my discovery!

So, the dread that I have been feeling about having to go thru his things, has now been replaced with curiosity! I'm kinda looking forward to the adventure.

I offer you friends, that if there is something of Pete's that you would like to have as a momento, please let me know and I will find it and send it to you. Sorry, but I think Mark Piepmeier has dibs on his pink strip tie.

Love,
Helene

Video Slideshow

I am working on getting copies of the slideshow made ASAP. Please bear with me because I am in the process of starting a new job. The production should go quick soon (especially if I can teach Scherzinger how to make them).

Also, if you haven't already noticed, there is a Youtube account created for the slideshow. The link is located on the right side of the blog. Please feel free to make some comments or provide suggestions.

If you have any video of Pete that you feel would be nice to share with everyone, please let me know and we can find a way to get it posted. If there are enough video clips, we might be able to edit them into a nice show.

Thanks and I appreciate all of the positive feedback on the slideshow, but most of the credit goes to both Paul Gruber and Kurt Scherzinger, who without their direction, it would not have come together like it did.

-Kurt Oblinger
K.Oblinger@gmail.com

The Circle of Life

Sitting on my front porch, Dayton style, on a Monday night, Midnight in fact, drinking some beers and smoking some Marlboros all I can think of is Pete. I think of the past weeks, how hard they have been and trying to seek some answers to my dumbfoundedness.

So here is what I have come up with...

Shortly after Saturday's well-needed celebration of Pete's life, Kate and I left Cincinnati at 6:45 AM to head back to St. Louis to become Godparents at the baptism of our 6 mo. old niece Annie (Annie Bananie). She is the most beautiful little girl one could ever hope for I must add. When we got to the church all the kids were there (Jack 7, Sam 5, Will 3.5, Libby 2 and of course, Annie 6 mo.), cheerful as ever, and there was my little Annie, happy to see me as if I hadn't been around in forever. When I saw her, all I wanted to do was embrace her little frame and thank God for the special things in life, so I did. As the baptism went on, all Kate and I could think about was Pete and how the weekend seemed such a blur. As one child played gameboy munching on fruit snacks, another throwing crayons around the church as if they were jarts, I looked at how they perceived life. "When would my batteries die on my gameboy and did my mom bring more", or "what if I broke off the tip of my red crayon, could I still color the horsies?" It seems funny to think about because of what is happening to me, but I realized, those were the days. Nothing to worry about except for those small things. Anyways, soon after, the baptism was over and Kate and I were in the car heading to another celebration, the celebration of Annie's baptism. As soon as we entered the car, Kate had tears in her eyes and I asked her what was wrong, she pointed out the baptismal candle and how it was a symbol both in Pete's mass and Little Annie's baptism. How blind was I not to see this. This is life, one goes away and another shines in. Since that day I can't forget it and I probably never will.

Last and definitely not least to complete the circle, I get a call from Paul Zlatic last Thursday, which stiffens my realization above. Around lunch time here in St. Louis he calls with great news, TWINS!! I couldn't help but refer back to my feelings about the baptism and make sense of all these great things.

How could God create such grief, yet create such happiness in ones life? It seems life revolves in many ways, unfortunately one of those ways is up-side down.

I surround myself mostly with what-ifs these days. What if I stayed in Cincinnati? Would I be a roommate of Pete's? What if I had made it back there more often? What if I could make one more memory with Pete? What if I could change the way I feel by just having one last day with Pete? Then I think about the "Circle of Life", the new life I have created here with Kate in St. Louis (no, not a baby, so don't think crazy). I know I can't regret one of those things because of what I now have to look forward to, but they still flood my mind.

All I know is that Pete was an awesome person, stubborn yet loving, honest, sometimes too honest (smile, you know what I'm saying), truthful, understanding and full of life. I think of him as Pete "Mr. Personality" Gruber these late days.

Love you Pete. I'll see you around.

Trinity and Beyond

Though I met Pete my freshman year at UD through Richie, my best memories of him are from senior year on Trinity. Pete became quite a fixture at our house even before he and Leigh started dating. Whether he was driving up our front yard in his jeep, throwing our lawn chairs on the roof, riding his bike into our bushes, or waking us up at 10am on a Saturday running through the house jumping on our beds letting us know it was time to start the day, he was always in a good mood, and looking to have some fun.

Pete always had such a calm manner about him that made me believe that everything would be ok. He was the one who convinced me in my grade-induced panic that I was not going to fail Dr. King’s MGT 301 class, even though I failed all the tests – and he was right – (he also of course had to show me that he had aced one of the tests – just so I knew it was possible).

Mostly what I remember about Pete, especially in the last 4 years since Dayton, is how crazy he was about Leigh, how happy they were and how much fun they had together (especially with a roll of orange 99 cent stickers on a certain Super Bowl Sunday at 1912). I only hope that I’m as lucky as they were to have a love so strong and true, and to have found that love so early on in life.

To everyone who mourns for Pete – my heart, thoughts, and prayers are with you. Through our tears and laughter and stories of Pete – we must remember to lean on one another. I would imagine it’s what Pete would have wanted. It’s through our memories and holding on to each other that we will all get through this.

Love you Pete.

Our Precious Peter

We have returned home from Norris Lake with heavy hearts after an unsuccessful 5-day intensive search for Peter's body. Our new friends, Gene and Sandy Ralston from Idaho, combed every square inch of the lake bottom utilizing high tech sonar and ROV cameras. They sweltered in the heat to find Pete and at night we would view the pictures/ data of thousands of objects on the very clear and sandy lake bottom, including beer cans, coolers, tires, a boat, etc. But Pete's body is simply not there. The cadaver dogs came back out and also no luck. Miles of shoreline were and are being checked daily, but no Pete. A mystery, a puzzle and no sense to anyone, including the rescue teams, detectives and lake residents.

Bob, Paul and I want to thank everyone for all the many prayers, love and blessings that you have sent our way. This blog site has touched us to the very core and we thank Zach and Katie Hicks for creating this vehicle for our healing. We love your stories and sharing Pete's impact on your lives. We always thought he was a very special person with an enormous heart and we are comforted to know that he touched so many lives in the same way that he did ours.

While we struggle to make sense of this whole tragedy, we continue to learn a lot from Pete. We have learned that his friends loved him as we did; that his kindness, humor and passion for life made the world a little better place; that Pete achieved what he set out to do at age 13, as recorded in his written story of his life- "to be the best friend, brother, son, husband" that he could be. Pete knew at a young age that life isn't about shallow relationships. He recognized and worked to develop deep interpersonal relations with everyone. And your stories confirm that he succeeded.

We are proud of Pete and the joy he brought to us in so many ways, including all of you. He was always a man of character. Our thanks are too numerous to mention everyone, but allow us to note a few key persons who have been of great support:
Zach & Katie Hicks- peterman's blog
Paul Zlatic- his faith and ministry to Pete and the UD group and us in planning the liturgy
Dan Rodenfels- Pete's clone and confidant to us
Andy Butz- roommate and friend
Kurt Oblinger & Kurt Scherzinger- for the beautiful video of Pete's life
Grandma, aunts, uncles and cousins for their strength and support
St Gabriel teachers and family
Moeller family
UD family and friends
Dan Curran, President of UD who attended Pete's service
Pete's work family
Juvenile Court and St Elizabeth work family
Our Glendale neighbors and community who have rallied behind us
and all the other friends who came to call and offered support

To Pete's friends, we ask..please don't forget us. When the babies arrive and the joys and sorrows of your life come, please keep in touch with us. Pete would want us to continue to be the second parents/ friends that we were when he was living. You are important to us and will continue to be. We love you forever.

Pete lived a full and wonderful life in his short time with us. Our only regret is that he died without the support of loving family and friends right at his side. Pete would never have abandoned anyone in their time of need and he deserved to have that same love and respect. We know from all your kind entries that you would have stayed and been there with him, and us, throughout the search. And we take comfort in that and thank you for loving him too.

Our thanks. love and blessings-
Helene

I miss you.

Prayer to St. Anthony

Prayer to St. Anthony
Feast Day: June 13

O Saint Anthony, Saint of Miracles, Saint of Help. We also have need of your assistance; We have need of this special favor for all intentions and prayers to be heard for our dear Peter.

Therefore, console all in this present necessity and grant all the help that, with full confidence, we hope for.

Amen.

As I sit waiting for Kim to get me from the airport in Columbus, I started looking through more pics I had of Pete. All of which represent great times and memories. I wanted to share them with you. Miss and Love you Peterman!

Pete I am going to miss you!

Pete was like a big brother to me, since he was my brother’s best friend. I remember all the good times I had with Pete and him always giving me a hard time. Every time I would see him the past couple of years he would be like “hey, hey where are your cowboy boots” and I would say “I wore them just for you Pete”. I have known Pete just as long as my brother we use to go to Frishes every Friday morning before we went to school. Going to Steamboat with Pete and my brother was quite an experience, with our 30 hour bus ride. Pete was always there, at my brothers and always smiling and laughing at something. When my brother picked me to be his best man at his wedding I couldn’t have been happier and Pete was standing right next to me. If I didn’t happen to be related to my brother Pete would have been the best man not to mention he did the hard part of being the best man he planed the whole bachelor party for me and was always there, I even called him the honorary best man. Pete I am going to miss you but I know my brother is going to miss you even more!

Pete the man with a world of good friends

It has taken me over a week to come up with what I wanted to say about Pete and though I've thought of a thousand memories I hope I can put a few of them together that will do justice to how good a friend he was to me. Pete was easily one of my absolute best friends and he gave me a lot over the 12 or so years I was fortunate enough to share with him. I first met Pete in high school our freshman year...having our names so close in spelling we sat next to each other in homeroom and half a dozen classes over our four years at Moeller. During the first two years we only talked a little but had a lot of laughs, as Pete was always a joker even then...by Junior year though we talked every morning in homeroom and became really good friends hanging out after school a ton as well... I remember a lot of conversations often about things we wanted to accomplish in our lives, college decisions (I think Pete always wanted to go to UD, so not much to decide there), major choices, where we wanted to live after college...etc. It wasn't always so serious of course but I always found Pete to be really sincere, honest, and deep. He had a lot of dreams and aspirations and we became such close friends because we shared a lot of the same goals and because we each found it so easy to discuss these types of real life ideas and experiences. Pete was one of the top people I went to for advice and I can remember several specific instances in which the advice he gave me really helped me out. I owe two other great friendships to Pete as well, Mark and Kurt who through Pete I met and spent most of high school, college, and to this day, hanging out with.

We had a ton of fun and memorable times together from friday morning breakfasts at Frischs senior year, our senior trip to Europe after high school, the infamous houseboat trips, celebrating our birthdays together (two days apart), weddings, and on and on. The last several years since college we still got together every other month or so and Libby and I especially looked forward to seeing Pete and Leigh even when in a larger group...I think its because we always had such great, meaniful, and hilarious conversations with Pete and because he was always so genuinley interested in everything that was going on in our lives...Pete was actually the most excited and congradulatory of all my friends when I told him we were pregnant this past January....he was always offering advice when needed, congratulations or support and always a laugh with his sarcastic wise cracks to keep things fun...which reminds me of something...I have another good friend who had met Pete several times over the years...in a conversation the friend once referred to Pete as "Sarcastic Pete" ...that has popped in my head almost everytime I have seen or talked to Pete since...he had a really unique sense of humor that once you understood was absolutely hilarious. Another story about Pete's humor came last summer...we were at a Pool party with Pete and Leigh...I had a surgery on my right shoulder about two years ago that left me with a pretty nasty looking scar...someone had asked me about it and I told them the techincal version of what it was, etc....Pete ever trying to make things brighter and more lighthearted...or at least comical...told me that from then on whenever I got asked about the scar I should instead tell this story: "this scar is from the day my best friend Pete saved my life...I was radomly shot by a passing by thug...Pete pulled the bullet from my arm with his bare hands and stitched me up on the spot...of course he didn't know what he was doing which is why the scar is so big but he saved me". It was funny to say the least and it has made me smile ever since when I get asked about the scar...I think it always will. Though Pete may have never "saved" my life, he certainly added so much to it and strenghten it in so many ways.

The last thing I wanted to say about Pete goes with a saying "You can tell a lot about a person by the people they associate themselves with". Well Pete was surrounded by the largest group of close friends of anyone I've ever known...not just aquantences, but good friends that he regularly talked with. I have always remarked to my wife how amaizing the sheer size of his circle of friends is and it truly says a lot about how great, how caring, how special Pete was that he has such a huge group of friends who are all such good, and caring people. It has been another of my great privelages to have met and known all of you through Pete over these years and I am so thankful to him for allowing me to make all of you my friends and add so much to my life.

Pete I will always carry with me the pieces of you that you have shared with me and I thank you for all these years of friendship, support, and laughs.

Love ya man!

Justin














Our birthdays this year - "White Trash Bash" surprise party my wife put together...Pete was always a snazzy dresser!

Good Times...

I cannot remember when it was exactly that Pete and I first met but I do know that I cannot think of a single memory that does not include him.  Pete was always a great friend to me.  He could always make me laugh and I could always count on him to be there for me if I needed him.  He often felt more like a brother to me than a friend however.  He smashed cake in my face at our graduation party and then licked it off of me, he threw my phone across a room because he said that I was from 1990 with my Nextel and he ended up breaking the antenna off, he chased me around his house on New Year's Even junior year and that lead to his mom's Santa falling out of a hutch and breaking, he would call me and email me whenever the Philadelphia Eagles lost and rubbed it in my face, and the stories could go on and on.  I did want to share however a short story about a conversation Pete and I had a few months ago at a friends wedding.  We were standing outside during the reception and we randomly found ourselves talking about our lives, our careers, our goals and our futures.  Pete was talking about his job and we were congratulating each other on the success we were both having.  Pete was also telling me how truly happy he was for me that I had someone as terrific as Adam in my life.  Then he started talking about how much he loved Leigh and was looking forward to advancing in his career so that he could provide for her in the future.  I never told Leigh that story but felt it was appropriate to share it.  Pete truly cared about everyone is his life.  I will never forget the friend Pete was to me and I know he is looking down on me and all of us everyday.  You will be missed.  Love you!

What could be better than fishbowls at the Fieldhouse?

I decided to surprise everyone in Cinci 2 years ago by coming in town for St. Patty's Day.  Pete was standing on Kurt and Alicia's porch as I came walking up to the house.  His face was priceless when he saw that it was me.  I am glad I showed up, otherwise I would have missed a lot of Pete's shenanigans as you can see above.
Pete was my date to formal senior year and I couldn't have asked for a better dancing buddy or drinking buddy for that matter.  He kept buying bottles of Andre's from the Deli while we waited for the bus...so just like any other night, we cannonballed each bottle.  
    Cabrewing...our canoes tipped so many times, we lost many personal items...including Pete's       contact which I somehow managed to knock out of his eye with my paddle.

     Taste of Cincinnati - Memorial Day Weekend 

I think the picture speaks for itself.

Favorite Memories Of Pete and UD

This is one of my all time favorite Pictures. The minute I started looking though my pictures I knew I had to find this picture. Pete was a good person and always knew how to make you laugh. He was considered one of the Crazy Fun Cincy Boys that we hung out with all of Jr and Sr year. With Memories like that dice game that we sat around hours playing, chugging milk ( one of my favorites) Canon Ball, opening the Hills, just hanging out at 425 Lowes and so many more that make me smile just thinking about them.

I am thankful that Pete came into my life. He taught me how to live life to the fullest and love every minute of it.

I love you Pete and Will miss you dearly.

Memorial DVD

Kurt Scherzinger contacted me about setting up a slideshow in memory of Pete. This is the least that I can do since Pete was such a good friend and the entire Gruber family truly means a lot to me. Many of you probably received some sort of E-mail from Butz about this, but here is the reminder...

Please send any pictures you have to Kurt Scherzinger via E-mail at kurtscherz@hotmail.com.

Also, if you know of any music that you feel would be appropriate for the slideshow, please send me some suggestions at k.oblinger@gmail.com. If you have any other ideas or suggestions, please feel free to contact me with them.

This memorial slideshow will be in DVD format and I will try to produce as many copies as possible before the two services. Please allow any out of town family to take a copy first, followed by out of town friends. I will make sure that we get enough copies made for everyone, but those in the Cincinnati area might have to wait a little bit for them.

Pete & the Blue Suede Slippers

I can't stop smiling when I think of this. It was during the summer of Pete's Sophomore year at UD and everyone was at our house (Molly's pad, lower level). Pete decided to go for a midnight swim (in the pond) and in the process lost one of his shoes. Molly came up and told Ellen & I that Pete needed some shoes to wear, so Ellen proceeded to give him the ugliest slippers/shoes in my closet-Blue Suede Slip-ons-I have no idea how or why I ever had them-hopefully, I never wore them, but anyway Pete had 'em now.

We didn't think anymore of this until move-in day at UD. After we had finished the move-in with Molly, we proceeded to drive around and visit everyone's new digs. As we walked up to Pete's porch, we about lost it when we see Pete with a beer in one hand, cigarette in the other, and on his feet are the Blue Suede Slippers. Pete wore them with much more style than I ever could have.

Pete, we will definitely miss you and your zest for life but think of you often-so in that respect you are still here!!

James & Ellen Heimert

what a great moment...

As you know, Mel and I were pretty much camera nazis in college so here are some classic Pete pictures for your enjoyment...

Pete (as we all know) loved to pull pranks. I don't have too many pictures of evidence, however I know anyone at New Years 2003 will recall this moment -

* and if you missed them, please take a moment to honor those slippers...

and who could forget when Perrich wanted to shave his head (please notice the intensity on Petes face):



more Daytona:



Dayton randoms:



lowesfest = trouble.

senior year, a few of us were all on metanioa together. i may butcher the exact words (and i hope i am not breaking any rules here) but while there each participant had the opportunity to share their story with the rest of the group. Most stories are soul searching and a time when people can stand in a public forum and dispel their fears, hopes, dreams etc. Pete took that opportunity to share his thought on life- and how good it was. He spoke in his comfortable fashion that he knew he had an amazing family, great friends, and a good life. I recall him saying that he wanted to be the best son friend boyfriend person to those around him, because they all meant that much to him, and thats just the kind of guy that he was.

Being at UD together was such an amazing time. I think over the past week or so we have all come to realize how lucky we are to have the memories we do, because it means that those experiences were real, and that at one time, we were all together, making it one of the best moments of our lives. I thank God that Pete was in my life, and I am going to sorely miss him.

I have so many memories with Pete that its hard to pin just one down - he is part some of my favorite college memories - and afterwards as well. In college, sledding down Stuart hill, going to our favorite watering holes, playing drinking games late into the night... and then afterwards... He was the first person to call as i was driving from DC to Cincy all those times, making sure i was safe and that i had a place to stay, scheduling dinners with friends so we could all spend some time together. Even though I was far away, our friendship never changed for a minute. He understood so much and was always a person I could count on. So many things in the future will not be the same without him... i love and will miss you Pete...

"The world will be a worse place without him here, but it will never be a terrible place because of the love he spread while he was here."

Birthdays and Fun

I was talking to Danielle last week trying to identify when we first met Pete, I can't remember the exact date or time. But sophomore year our 3 rooms created a triangle and I was seldom in my own room. We were always across the hall playing Super Mario, watching the people on the front of VWK, laughing, joking around and loving our college experience more and more every day. Pete was a huge part of my experience at UD I will miss the long talks, the jokes, the stories, the support, the friendship, the memories, the hugs, and his big blue eyes.. Here are a few pictures ranging from some of my favorite times.. hanging out on the porch at 414, Reds Games, BW3's, Carmel's, Daytona, NYE, Flannys.. many Birthdays, Cheers to you Pete, all my love. Carly

Pics just to bring a smile to your face:)

Just thought I would try to make everyone laugh before I went to bed! Two of my most fun moemories of Pete involve Kurt and Chirs as well. The first, Christams Eve Eve bowling in bowling pin costumes. There needs to be no explanation as to why, it just seemed fun. And of course it was more fun for Pete than anyone else, horiible horrible idea to let him be the bowling ball. I didnt even make it three feet out of the car before I was face planted on the ground and Pete was laughing hysterically yelling strike. I was brusied for weeks after that night and I have never been tackled as much in my life as I was that night. The second pic is of the carnival at UD arena. We got made fun of every year we went but it was so much fun!
Pete was such an incredible friend! He was there for me many of times be it talking to me about my messed up family, going to a wedding last minute, or driving me to West Carrolton in the middle of studying for exams. He was always there to have fun with, laugh with, or talk to! Ill miss you buddy!

Forever Part of Our Family

This is a poem written by Leigh’s grandma years ago. We’ve read it every Thanksgiving Day and we’d like to share it with you as well as a photo of our Ungerbuehler family. Thank you Pete, for being a part of our lives, a part of our family, and for loving Leigh Ann so deeply. We will always love you.

“Thanks God”

For every day that dawn’s anew,
For cloudless skies of endless blue,
We thank you.

For years gone by filled with fun,
For days ahead, with work undone,
We thank you.

For children, who fill and brighten our days,
For the love that they give, in so many ways,
We thank you.

For rainbows of pastel, colorful hue,
For friends who remain forever true,
We thank you.

For mom’s who will forever care,
For dad’s who love and also share,
We thank you.

For birds in the morn, who twitter and sing,
For flowers abloom, announcing the spring,
We thank you.

~Marilyn Ungerbuehler

my best friend

ok. so this is a little difficult for me to talk about butI figure this may be an appropriate time to bring up my favorite story of my best friend. So it begins. It's 7 or 8 months after college graduation, I have been living with Kim for 7 or 8 months I guess. Well we had gone engagement ring shopping just to try and get an idea of what she had in mind. She picked one out, and 2 months later when I planned on popping the question I realized I could not afford the ring she had picked out. Well, I was flat broke. I didn't know what to do, so I asked pete if he could help me out. To pete this wasn't a yes or no question. His immediate response was, "sure buddy, what do ya need?" The next day he gave me an envelope of cash, no ifs, ands, or buts. I asked him please not to tell anyone, and as far as I know other than me telling kim 2 years later, and maybe I let it slip on Monday, I don't think he told anyone. So. Here is to you buddy. I will never forget what you did for me. I love you like a brother, and I have for the last 20 years. Be nice to the angels.

Mark

"I have this feeling there's one more star up in the sky tonight. And even though it's far away, its brightness and warmth still reach us here to make the night a little less dark."

Pete and his Lady!!

First off I would like to start by saying I have really enjoyed reading the notes that people have put up so far, albeit hard but it is definitely good to hear the stories and the good times. I would like to take this time to share with you a couple of my own. As many of you know I tend to error on the side of humor in most situations so bear with me.

Pete Gruber and I met freshman year. We lived on the now famous 1 South Marycrest together along with many others. Which somehow became the best place to live freshman year. Maybe I am bias but that’s what I have heard people say. I have been shifting through the many stories that came as a result of our friendship that continues to this day and with so many I really struggled with what to say. And for those of you that are thinking this, because I know you all too well, I do remember all of them. I think the one most fitting for this blog, would be my fondest memory of Senior year, the year Pete and Leigh got it right. I am sure some of you have heard that I have a little song that goes with along with how Pete and Leigh finally ended up together after 3 years of fighting off the inevitable and how they fell in love. Some of you might think that you know where this song originated from but I can assure you it was written, recorded and performed on Trinity Ave. AKA the street we built. I will give you the short version seeing how everyone seems to be saying sorry for this being so long. Well hell, since this is my first ever post to a blog I am going to play the card that I don’t know any blogging etiquette (if that is even a phrase).

I would like to thank Rodo in advance for the help.

Richie: (Will be playing the part of Pete in the second verse)
Rodo: (Will be playing the part of Leigh in the second verse)


Richie: I can see what’s happing and they don’t have a clue.
Rodo: Who?
Richie: They’ll fall in love and here’s the bottom line our trio’s down to two.
Rodo: Oh

Can you feel the love tonight…………..


Richie: So many things to tell her but how to make her see.
Richie: The truth about my …………… she’ll turn away from me.

Rodo: He’s holding back he’s hiding but what I can’t decide
Rodo: Why won’t he be the Pete I know he is the Pete I see inside.

Can you feel the love tonight……..

As many of you know Leigh and Pete were the perfect couple. The song represents to me Pete’s good humor. I sang the song to them many times and each time Pete would give me one of his looks, which as you can imagine I knew what he was saying. But I knew deep down inside he loved it, because it was true. Pete and Leigh felt the love 24/7.

Leigh, as Pete’s friend I want to thank you for all the happy times you brought to Pete's life. I love you both. Pete I will miss you but will be thinking of you a lot.

somehow Pete made it into like 10 photos at my wedding? go figure

Little Reminders (cont.)

Funny that Butz should bring up Pete and music in his post. Earlier this week I heard Jay-Z on the radio and started thinking about Pete's taste in music. While he was obviously a vocal proponent of Jay-Z, what I remember the most is that, seemingly, every time I got into his Wrangler he was playing a Tracy Chapman CD. I never called him out on it because it though it was hysterical but Pete must have been the biggest Tracy Chapman fan in the 18-36 demographic. However I might give him a run for his money, the CD has been growing on me this past week.

My memories of Pete

In working with Pete the last 2 years I have gained a very close friend. Most of my work friends are just that - work friends. It doesn't transcend into personal friendship very often. With Pete, it was easy. The two of us found out that we had a lot more in common than just our dad's knowing each other.

This year, Pete became my partner in the company golf league. A memorable story or two there would be when the league cancelled due to rain and Pete and I snuck out onto the course anyways, playing perhaps the fastest 9 holes ever! The following week, when I hit my ball into a tree (not uncommon), he helped me look for it for a solid 10 minutes. We finally saw it... stuck high up in the actual tree. I told Pete I was determined to get that ball back after looking so hard. He shrugged his shoulders and hoisted me up into the tree to get it back!

It seemed like we were both going through the same stages in life. We always had a lot to talk about - especially when it meant getting away from the cube! Whether it be taking an extra fifteen minutes for lunch, taking an extended afternoon break in the cafeteria, or when (almost like clockwork) Pete would come over at 4:30 and say "I can't take it anymore. I can’t look at that computer anymore." Whatever we talked about, Pete was always a great listener and was very understanding. No matter what the situation was he would say, "Oh I understand. I understand." He always made you feel comfortable and could always lighten the mood with one of his smart-ass remarks!

Ok, I know this is getting long but I wanted to share the most recent memory I have of Pete. It was a week ago today when I was leaving for a wedding in Florida. It was the first wedding I had been to for people my age. Knowing Pete was a veteran of weddings (and what to wear to them), I went to him for advice on the rehearsal dinner. I told him I was thinking of wearing seersucker pants since it was a beach wedding. He agreed, and raised me one. He said he had bought a seersucker suit that would be perfect and that he had never worn it but that I should wear it. I mean, who does that? He hadn't even worn it once! Well I took him up on it and I wore it, and it broke my heart to unpack it after the weekend, but I will always remember Pete for that and for all the other things he did that made him a great friend. He truly was a selfless person and a genuine friend. I'm glad to have known him and will always remember him.

I love ya Pete!

AHHH...THE MEMORIES

I was trying to thing about what I could say about Pete, and there are no words that I can really write down to say how much my friendship with him meant to me. I can just remember back to the days in High School; in the Winter, we had our last class together and we used to write ourselves our own notes to get out of class, and make it to Perfect North Slopes by the time the rest of the school got out. Then in the spring, I don't think Mark, Pete and I ever seemed to leave the Glendale Lyceum, and if we did, it was go to work. Which brings me to the next memory, getting Pete fired from Rally's because we stopped by to get some free food from him and told him we were headed to go see American Pie the movie, and he said hold on and the next thing we knew he was walking out to go with us. That was not the only work experience that we had together, working at the candy shop in high school, the greenhouse, and who could forget the good times at Marycrest housekeeping (if you call that actually working).

After high school we ended those years with a bang by going on our senior class trip together visiting Paris, Barcelona, and London over a 10 day trip. The memories from that trip go on forever and will never forget being crammed into a boxcar train with 7 of the other guys on the trip for a period of 8 hours. And who can forget all the good times that we had over the years on the houseboat trips.

The college memories could run on forever but some of the ones that stick out in my head the most would have to be the random times we would all hangout in the circle and drink out of the big red cups, which resulted in a random road trip to Canada. Then of course there are all the good times from the ski trips and the Daytona trips. But the one that sticks out in my mind the most was the time after college when Pete, Shade and I went out to Steamboat and Pete booked us a hotel that was called "The Brass Rail" and he wondered why it had that type of name but they gave us really good rates. Well we found out that night when there were quite a few trains that passed by right outside of our window, but we had a blast that trip.

I will always miss you Pete and I will never forget all the good times that we had together!!!

Thanks for the memories Pete

Bollin's Wedding....A trio of fine looking gents

Miss you Petey

Pete was one of the saviors of my 2005 summer since I graduated a year behind all my UD friends(DONT YOU JUDGE ME). While all of you were hard at work, i was stuck at home submitting my resume relentlessly to P&G, and getting declined, and pulling my hair out from boredom. Thank the lord Pete was off on Wednesday's, and always available to play golf, giving me a much needed break each week away from the computer. Maybe that is the reason i did not get a job for 9 months haha, but i will never forget the times we had on the course together. Not only will i miss Pete on the course but i cannot help but think about how much i am going to miss Pete when the NFL season starts up. I hate Monday's more then anyone, but when football season started i knew i always had something to look fowrad to. Poker night at Pete and Buttz place. Every Monday Me, Kurt, Buttz and Pete were guaranteed to play Hold'em and watch the game, usually accompanied by Paul (Raise the Big Blind every time), Steve, Paul's brother and some of his buddies. I will especially miss the stories we shared, the beers drank, his devilish grin and going heads up against Pete. Hopefully we can keep this tradition going and keep getting together to play some cards and remember Peterman. I love you Pete. Thanks for being a great friend and always being there.

Mikey Bollin

Little Reminders

It's funny how the smallest thing can trigger a great memory. Sitting at my desk this morning, I put my headphones on and started sorting through my email when I heard a song that brought an instant smile to my face. It took me back to the very first time I ever met Pete, at the UD Freshman Picnic at Winton Woods. We met, talked and then talked some more. Apologies to Kurt in advance.... My greatest takeaway from that day was a conversation about a band I had never heard of until then, OAR.

Pete, Mark and Kurt were all fans, but none as intense as Kurt. He was a collector of concert paraphernalia: drum stick(s), t-shirts and most notably a sweat rag. When Kurt talked about his sweat rag "trophy" I started to scratch my head and wonder "who is the guy?" I was quickly introduced to Pete's great sense of humor and knack for keeping his friends grounded when he started to "lay into" Kurt about the ridiculous nature of his excitement. Funny thing is, that was a conversation that has spanned eight years now (sorry Kurt).

It was only a few weeks ago that Pete and I were sitting in our living room joking about UD memories, that story in particular, in amazement that our five year reunion was just around the corner. Eight years ago now seems like a quick blink of an eye, but the memories and Pete's legacy will continue to bless us all for the next 80 years and beyond.

Pete . . . what a joker!

It is safe to say that Pete was to me as he was to many . . . a great friend, someone you could ALWAYS rely on and confide in. Because we had this strong friendship we were able to pick on each other like brothers - and God could we be ruthless with one another. All week, I just keep thinking about all the great moments, and all the fun stories.
The one that springs to mind is a little prank Pete played on me almost a year ago. Pete and Richie were down in Atlanta to play golf over Labor Day weekend. Just a classic weekend full of hi-jinks. Mid-way through the weekend I found a photo copied picture of me and a lady-friend from a wedding we were at earlier in the year. I called Pete and Richie out telling them how lame that was, and that if it was me I would have at least done things right and brought 100 copies instead of just one picture.
That night we went out to eat and I left the table to relieve myself and found 3 more photos of me and my lady-friend taped in the bathroom at the Restaurant. At this point I knew I was in trouble and the boys had me beat. I tried to go back to the table and play like nothing happened, but the boys know me too well, they were giggling like school girls as I sat down trying to pretend I didn't care.
As of 3 weeks ago, I am still finding these damn pictures hidden around my apartment. For 9 months everytime I find a new picture I would call Pete and we could always have a laugh together even though we were a few hundred miles away.
I sit here today, and I can't wait until I am performing some mundane task around the apartment and I find the next hidden picture. When I find that picture I will call Richie and we will get to have one more laugh with our old friend.
I can't wait to see everyone and tell a bunch of shitty old stories. If anyone wants to talk, PLEASE don't hesitate to call me!

The Bus Trip that Pete Planned

So as many of you know, I took a Greyhound bus trip from Cincy home to St. Louis yesterday, all 9 hours worth. I called it, the "The Bus Trip that Pete Planned". "Why?" doesn't come as a shock to anyone, one more laugh at old Hicks as he endulges himself in a taste of society's finest.

Where to start? Maybe with Cincinnati, the beginning of my trip, where the smell of mary jane ran rampant in the entrance to the depot? Or maybe the young white guy with his father wearing black boots, black pants, a black cut-off shirt, black driving gloves (yes, driving gloves without the fingers) sporting a limp in his walk? Or maybe the guys who were picking a fight. Oh, I also don't want to forget the illustrious "bootyshaking" by some young ladies. Either way, this was only the beginning. I just thought, what would Pete say. "Ha Ha Ha" is what he would say in that devilish laugh of his.

After the short trip to Indianapolis, and a much needed nap, I was once again thrust into another venture with our countries finest inhabitants. Lets start with how many times I saw weed... three times. How many times I was asked for papers... twice. How many times was I asked if I wanted a sip of "something" by a man from Daytona's paper bag... once. And to top it all off, this same Daytona "local" was quite vocal about his constipation before his ride to Detroit in the public restroom during my two hour layover. I just thought again to myself, boy would Pete love this story.

So the bus pulled away and I gave a quick "Westside" to my newfound homies and I was on to the next town, Effingham, Illinois, home of the largest cross. As the bus ride went on, I figured, this can't get much more uncomfortable can it? Maybe just a little, it seems as if my good luck outside the bus had now come into the bus. We'll start with the annoying Australian chick, the one who looked as if the bus was a short stop on her save the world mission (Zlatic knows what I'm saying). It was easily the only time I didn't think a foreign accent was hot. And to boot, she had the bus driver turn down the A/C, which in turn made me sweat profusely from my underarms, as usual. Lastly there was the extremely overweight man who talked to much, and the other large man who snored loudly.

Almost home I thought, Pete is just laughing his ass off up there. I accepted that laughter and laughed with him, tearing up with my head held high and thinking of his perspective on life.

There is so much more to tell and say about this trip but I realize I'm getting a little long here. So I'll leave this story at... Pete, you were that special friend, that one who went the extra mile, even when it meant spending money. I'll always remember you as my lifelong friend and now, all of our guardian angel. Thanks for the great trip and the many laughs we shared.

Pete's Claim to Fame

Murray's.... Classic. He's the only one who ever had the guts to order a fried bolonga sandwich...

We miss you, Pete. Your memory will live forever in our hearts.

The 5am Ouija board session. So much fun!

Memories as bright as Pete's blue eyes! You'll always be able to bring a smile to our faces. : )