Peter Charles Emerson

Never one to trouble others, Pete went so far as to pre-write his own obituary so as to save his family from having to do so. Below is the obituary Pete wrote:

Pete Emerson, Appleton, WI, born July 17th, 1954, died July 23rd, 2024 from complications due to high grade, small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma.

Peter was a graduate of Wauwatosa West High School in 1972, UW-Stevens Point, 1976, and Red Wing Vo-Tech, 1982. He was a lifelong learner taking interest in a wide variety of subject.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Howard and Ruth (Bruss) Emerson, oldest brother, Jeffrey Emerson and brothers-in-law, Melvin and Dennis Bonner. Peter is survived by his devoted and loving wife, Brenda Emerson, brother David (Mary) Emerson, sister Wendy (Raymond) Last, children, Stacey Swain (grandchildren Hannah and Harrison Hauble), Don (Tiffany) Swain (grandchildren Cassie (Shayne Garbett) Mikkelson, Evan and Alyssa Swain), sisters-in-law Pat (Melvin) Bonner, Linda (Dennis) Bonner, Margie (Mike) Ratleph, brother-in-law John (Caroline) Bonner and numerous nieces and nephews.

Peter’s interests lead him to pursue many diverse activities such as teaching, musical performance, computer literacy, fine arts, sustainable business practices, pyrotechnics and healthy lifestyles (even though he did not eat enough fruits and vegetables).

Employers included Cascio Music Co., Henri’s Music and his private repair facility, Emerson Musical Instrument Repair. Although his repair shop catered to musicians of all ages and abilities, he especially enjoyed helping younger students achieve their goals and passions of performing with musical instruments.

He enjoyed keeping his life left of center and believed the theory that “There are more horse’s butts in the world than there are horses”.

Prior to his death, Peter often expressed his appreciation for the endless love and support of his family, fantastic group of friends, incredible medical advances in cancer care and the compassionate doctors, nurses and aids at Froedtert Hospital and Cancer Center, Generations Hospice and ThedaCare that enabled him to life a full and rewarding life long past what was expected at diagnosis.

At Peter’s request, there will be no formal service.

What follows is the obituary Pete’s family wrote:

Peter (Pete) Emerson was born on July 17, 1954, near Milwaukee, WI as the third of four children to Howard and Ruth Emerson. Pete respected his parents, who were politically and culturally involved, and Pete’s mother checked his homework every night to ensure he’d done it properly. Pete and his childhood best friend, John (Petersen), ordered underwater explosives and other science “experiments” and often got in trouble for their extracurricular “learning”.

After graduating from Wauwautosa West High School in 1972, Pete attended the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, where he graduated with Dean’s Honors in 1976 with a Bachelor of Music degree with teacher certification. Pete then moved back to the Milwaukee area, where he met Patricia Calkins (Patty O’Rourke), whom he married in 1981. Pete and Patty pursued their passion for music together while moving to Red Wing, MN in 1981 to earn Occupational Proficiency Certificates in Musical Instrument Repair. Pete and Patty divorced in 1997.

Pete was a successful trombonist in many bands, including the Green Bay and Appleton City Bands, Last of The Big Bands, Green Bay Packer Band, Green Bay Symphony, and the Groove Hogs. Pete even toured Europe with Bay City Swing in his wilder days, but when Pete spoke of those times, it was often in “general terms”. It was at a Groove Hogs performance in Door County, WI, that Pete caught the eye of Brenda Emerson, who was there enjoying the live music and dancing with her friends. Pete and Brenda began dating shortly thereafter. Initially, Pete wasn’t sure what to make of Brenda’s teenage children, Stacey and Don, but over time, with a lot of love and patience, he got used to them. To be fair, they also eventually grew up and gave Pete four grandchildren, to whom he was a most-beloved grandpa. Pete was always up for something silly with his grandchildren, whether it was bowling down the bedroom hallway or playing “there’s a lump in my chair”, where all the grandkids piled behind him while he pretended not to understand why his chair was so lumpy. 

After over seven years together, on October 25, 2004, Pete and Brenda wed in a small ceremony with family and friends in the mountains of Tennessee. Pete and Brenda enjoyed many activities together, especially traveling and doing anything outdoors, such as hiking, biking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, kayaking, and even camping. It’s a testament to Pete’s fortitude that he somehow convinced Brenda to enjoy camping. Pete and Brenda were also blessed with wonderful shared friends and beloved group traditions, such as fireworks at the sandpit to celebrate the 4th of July.

For over 20 years, Pete owned and operated Emerson Musical Instrument Repair, where he provided top-quality repair services for woodwind and brass instruments with unbeatable professionalism and courtesy. Pete pioneered safe and sustainable musical instrument repair practices, always focused on how to do things better for his customers, the community, and the environment. In addition to repairing many a band-student’s instrument, Pete volunteered at many school music competitions.

Pete was also an avid runner, who for many years was active in the Fox Cities Triathlon Club, where he was Chairman of the Community Committee, leading clinics and mentoring beginner triathletes. He also authored the Club’s Anti-Doping Position and contributed articles promoting drug free sport. Pete was passionate about promoting healthy lifestyles and helping others to succeed in meeting their goals. Pete was a lifelong philanthropist, giving generously of his time, talent, and money to many causes that were important to him.

Pete was a thoughtful and kind person who rarely said no to anyone. He was typically soft spoken despite being informed and funny. He loved drinking coffee and reading the Sunday newspaper with Brenda, even after they reluctantly switched to the digital edition. Pete maintained a positive attitude in all circumstances, but his choice in movies was terrible. Good thing he always liked what Brenda picked.

Pete fiercely battled prostate and neuroendocrine cancer for many years. In the words of Pete’s grandson, we’re all “grateful for grandpa fighting his cancer.” Pete’s battle ended peacefully at home on July 23, 2024. Pete and his family express their gratitude to Dr. Colin Mooney and the incredible care team at Froedert Cancer Center in West Bend, WI, as well as the wonderful nurses at Generations Hospice. Pete and his family also express their deepest gratitude to the family and friends who have supported Pete and Brenda throughout his cancer journey. Pete is survived by his wife, Brenda Emerson, his stepchildren, Stacey Swain and Don (Tiffany) Swain, his grandchildren, Evan, Alyssa, Hannah, and Harrison, and his siblings, Dave (Mary) Emerson and Wendy (Ray) Last, and brother-in-law, John (Caroline) Bonner, sisters-in-law, Pat Bonner, Linda Bonner, and Margie (Mike) Ratleph, and many nieces and nephews. Pete will be missed by many dear friends, just a few among them: John (Cheryl) Petersen, Shane (Terri) Wilson, Don and Jeanne Pappas, Steve and Amy Wieckert, and Gary (Colleen) Fraaza. Pete was preceded in death by his parents, Howard and Ruth Emerson, and his brother, Jeff Emerson, and his brothers-in-law, Melvin (Pat) Bonner and Dennis (Linda) Bonner.

Pete preferred no formal services be held in his honor. For those who would like to honor Pete, we think he would love for you to enjoy spending time in nature, listening to live music, or to give to the charitable cause of your choice. He’d especially love for you to go on a bike ride; he often repeated, “Nobody can be sad while riding a bicycle.”

Rest in peace, PD; AFH.