Pete Kollasch
KOLLASCH, NURRE, KNOX, BURKE
Posted By: Sarah Fletcher (email)
Date: 3/24/2023 at 10:23:28
Pete Kollasch was born in Algona, Iowa on July 6, 1946, to Albert C. and Sylvia A. Kollasch, née Nurre. He grew up in a loving family with seven brothers and sisters on the family farm north of Bancroft, Iowa. His high school years and one year of college were spent at the Crosier Brothers Prep Seminary in Onamia, MN. He received a classical education. Pete finished his undergraduate studies in 1968 at St. Mary’s University, Winona, MN with a BA in Mathematics. The same year, he received an induction notice from the draft. He enlisted and spent three years at Schwezingen, Germany as an Army clerk. Following discharge, he moved to Iowa City to attend graduate school in Computer Science. After graduation, Pete worked for the Iowa State Geological Survey as a computer programmer from 1974 -1985.
Pete met his future wife, Tricia Knox, in 1976 on a blind date arranged by a mutual friend. They met again on a bike ride in May of 1979 and were married in September. In 1985, they moved to Lake County, Illinois where Pete worked for Ducks Unlimited as a senior geospatial programmer and computer systems engineer. He was their guru of remote sensing, a pioneer in the field. Two of his unique systems were Disp/Train/Edit and CONTIG.
During the following 10 years the couple moved east to three different cities. Pete worked in both Morgantown, West Virginia and Burlington, Vermont for the USDA Forestry Division where he began programming a set of software applications known as the North East Decision Model. Besides timber, this project addresses resources such as wildlife, water, and ecological objectives. While in Vermont, they met Saeed Hassan, a Somali youth who needed a temporary place to stay. A few years later, they legally adopted each other.
In 1998, Pete was hired by EarthSat in Rockville, Maryland, where he advised and led many remote sensing projects. He developed GEOTOOLS for the US Intelligence Community.
After years away from the Midwest and Iowa City, the Iowa prairie landscape called Pete and Tricia home, and they returned to live there in 2002. Pete again worked for the Iowa State Geological Survey, this time as a Remote Sensing Analyst, joining many former and new colleagues. He retired from the Iowa Geological Survey in 2014.
Wherever they lived, Pete and Tricia worked as a team to remodel their older homes, offering their experience and time to friends and family engaged in similar pursuits.
Pete was very involved in community service and was a member of the Friends of Hickory Hill Park, often leading Spring garlic mustard pulls. He was also a founding member of the Friends of Rochester Cemetery. As a botanist, he had a particular love for native prairies and prairie restoration. He photographed many wildflowers over his lifetime. Together, the couple joined the newly forming board of Friends of Cedar Rock- the Frank Lloyd Wright Walter House, the resurgence of Arts Iowa City/ArtiFactory, and were facilitators for the Alternatives to Violence Project at Oakdale Prison. Sharing their love of singing, they joined the Oakdale Choir at its inception in 2009.
Genealogy became a passion for Pete in his teens, aided by his mother who arranged meetings with Kollasch relatives, where he recorded their offspring as well as family stories. Throughout her life, his mother supported and nourished his interest in family history. In the process of searching through the many documents available on the web, he became adept at translating Old Latin and German script. He also loved helping others with their genealogical research. In 2011, he published his compilation of years of research in The Family of Charles Kollasch and Katherine Adams.
Throughout their lives together, Pete’s love for his work and his flexible, dependable and giving nature allowed Tricia to further her arts education, art processes, and to design and resource their home remodel projects.
He was genuine-honest and kind as well as wry witted- a mentor to many, always attentive to the needs of his family and friends. He loved it all.
During his declining months, Pete was cared for by Tricia, Saeed, sister-in-law Carolyn, and Hospice personnel. He died at home on January 30th, 2023. He was predeceased by his parents, an older brother, Albert J Kollasch MD and brother-in-law, Barry E Burke. He leaves his wife, son, brothers and sisters, David (Jeanie), Joe (Marilyn), Mary Lou, Bill (Angie), Kathleen (Sharon), and Sylvia (Jeffrey) along with his daughters-in-law, two granddaughters, and many cousins, nieces and nephews.
If you like, donate in his name to any of the organizations in your care circle, or specifically to the Bur Oak Land Trust in Iowa City, specifying the Rochester Cemetery Friends’ Garlic Mustard Project, Friends of Cedar Rock State Park, Iowa City’s Friends of Hickory Hill Park or Arts Iowa City.
A Celebration of Life for Pete is planned for May 20th in Hickory Hill Park.
Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service
Johnson Obituaries maintained by Cindy Booth Maher.
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