Pete was rough and tumble guy.
We all knew him in a different way: friend, father, brother, neighbor or husband.
I think to understand Pete you need to look at his origins. Pete was born in
August of 1952 in Pomona, California. I was born in June of the same year.
My father and his friend Dr Exner delivered him at Pomona Valley Hospital.
We never knew who his birth father or mother was, though Pete tried to find out.
All he found out was that his birthdate was August 2, 1952.
Soon after his birth, my father brought Pete home to be a part of our family.
They named him Peter Myron …Myron after my father’s best friend, and as the
story goes Peter after Peter Marshall in the book A Man Called Peter.
To explain how this child suddenly appeared in the Dooley family my parents
decided to say Pete and I were twins.. They raised us as twins and made our
birthday July 2..not our actual birthdays.
grew up as my twin..It was Pete and Pam..they dressed us alike and even
named a boat the Peter Pam..We were 23 when we found out.
I think this impacted Pete his entire life. Though he wrote to my mother often
and called her. She always said he was such a good writer.
He was troubled in elementary school and my parents changed his teacher. In
high school my parents sent him to live with my sister Pat and her husband
Warren in La Mesa, and he went to high school there.
After high school he volunteered to go to Vietnam and returned a heroin addict. I
remember going to our congressman’s office and begging for him to prevent
Pete from returning to Vietnam and go into treatment. Which he did..Pete loved
me for this.
He married Suzanne in 1972 and had one child, Jason. The marriage eventually
ended in divorce. Suzanne raised Jason without Pete’s support.He was then stationed in San Pedro and honorably discharged after 8 years.
Chris was his second wife…he was married 4 times. He must have believed in
love! Their marriage did not last.
He then married Cathy and they had one son, Byron. Byron cared for Pete until
his last days and I admire him for that.
He married Beth and I think those years were good ones for them both. She
knew how to reign him in and care for him. She loved to cook. Highlights of their
life together was a trip to Sturgis on the Harley. Also they traveled to Mazatlan.
Pete was proud of his connection to Mazatlan through our family.
As we all know..Pete loved motorcycles. He wasn’t big on rules or conforming to
societies expectations. He lived his life his way.
Beth’s death was a huge blow for Pete. He was very sad and alone except for
his beloved dogs.
Pete loved dogs, motorcycles, smoking, drinking, and walking to the
neighborhood park each morning.
SIS” and ended with Baaah..and I love you.
