Peter Roy Rowland

Peter “Pete” Rowland lived with a quiet patience and a thoughtful way of seeing the world. He was never one to seek the spotlight; his care was most often expressed through what he did for others, steadily and without fanfare.

Pete was proud of his nearly 30-year career as an engineer in the oil industry and of his service in the United States Air Force, including two tours in Vietnam. He brought the same care, creativity, and exacting attention to detail to the many projects he took on throughout his life.

For 30 years, Pete shared his life with Norma, his “Sweetie.” His love lived in the everyday: in the quiet tasks he completed to make her days easier, in his patient help, and in the little surprises he remembered to bring home simply because she had once admired something.

After moving to Las Cruces ten years ago, Pete and Norma filled their weekends with hikes alongside friends, quick getaways to their cabin near Ruidoso, and the easy happiness of good company. Pete loved fishing and teaching his grandchildren the pleasure of catching a trout. He enjoyed tinkering with classic cars—and perhaps a boat or two—and had a deep affection for all living things. There was almost always a canine companion by his side.

His children remember a kind, giving father who doted on them. Norma remembers a loving, patient partner: creative, dependable, and wonderfully particular about doing things just right. Those who knew Pete will remember a man whose gentleness was felt in a thousand small ways.

HIS FAMILY

Beloved wife: Norma (“Sweetie”)

Children: Teya, Mitzi, and Hans

Bonus children: Chris (in loving memory), Alex, Melanie, Nik, and Charlie

Opa to 5 grandchildren, 14 bonus-grandchildren, and 6 bonus-great-grandchildren

Siblings: Algie and Diana

May the kindness he practiced continue through all of us.