Obituary of Peter Morgan Cole

Peter Morgan Cole (Pete), beloved husband, father, and grandfather, passed away September 28, 2023, in Tucson, Arizona. He was 75 years old. Pete was born to Donald Eugene Cole and Lucile Margaret (nee Johnson) in St. Peter, Minnesota, on September 22, 1948. He was the youngest of four children joining siblings Janice, Mary Ellen, and Tom.

He graduated from Hayfield High School (Hayfield, MN) in 1966 and Winona State College (Winona, MN) in 1970 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Psychology. It was there that Pete met Diane Kay Nelson, the love of his life. They wed September 20, 1969 and celebrated 54 years of marriage.

Pete was drafted into the Army that same year and served as a Medic (1970-1972) in Aschaffenburg, Germany. After his service they moved back to Minnesota and lived in Crystal for five years before moving to Tucson in 1977 where they have resided these past 46 years.

After working in several fields, Peter found his calling as a business owner to Federal Termite & Pest Control (1986). His customers were a highlight and lovingly referred to him as “the Bug Man” until his retirement in 2015.

He enjoyed hunting, fishing in Alaska, traveling and cruising, horror films, telling scary stories, his beloved pets, the Diamondbacks, spicy salsa and sweets, and spending time with family and friends. Pete enjoyed teasing and pranking others and was affectionately known by his sons, nieces, and nephews as “The Big Cheese”.

Peter is preceded in death by his parents, sister Mary Ellen and brother Tom.

He is survived by his loving wife, Diane; sons, David (Kimbra) and Michael (Melissa); grandchildren Jackson, Taylor, and Caroline; a sister Janice Ebert; brother-in-law Dean Nelson (Linda); sisters-in-law Janet Nelson-Schwartz and Kathy Lange, and many cousins, nieces, and nephews.

He was proud of his heritage, especially his lineage to William Williams, a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

He was a special man with a kind heart. Papa will be dearly missed.

A celebration service is scheduled for Friday, October 13, 2023, at 2:00 pm (visitation 1:00 pm) with reception to follow. Chapel of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, NEC 7650 N Paseo Norte, Tucson.

Peter will be laid to rest at a later date at Arizona Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery in Marana, Arizona.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Peter’s honor to one of the following: Veterans’ Donation Fund https://dvs.az.gov/donate/arizona-veterans-donation-fund-donate Banner University of Arizona Cancer Center https://cancercenter.arizona.edu/about/giving St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church https://www.sapctucson.org/give/

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