Goodbye, Pete

 

I received the shocking news that Pete died last night and sent this letter out to a few longtime Fallbrookians:

I got word tonight that Peter Wedll, longtime owner of the Artery Frame Shop in Fallbrook, has passed away. Cancer. Leslie had heard a rumor and we had a neighbor of his do some checking. We just got the phone call. Apparently Pete went to the doctor, found out he had stage four lung cancer and was gone in three one weeks. He passed away mid April. Nothing they could do.

Pete had a business on Main St. for a very long time. He was the best frame restorer I have ever known, a true craftsman. He was also an extremely nice guy, had a heart of gold, we never had a cross word in decades of working together. Happens so quick. I stopped going to the Red Eye, where I used to run into him now and then and guess I never got the word. Feel bad for him. I remember he had a daughter, who was doing well out of state.

I know nothing more, no idea if there will be a memorial. Thought you might want to know.

best,

Robert Sommers

Blue Heron Gallery

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Pete Wedll was the nicest guy you could ever meet. It would be exceedingly hard not to like him. Peter had a hearty, genuine laugh. He grew up on a dairy farm in Minnesota, was used to getting up early and milking the cows, he was a man accustomed to hard work.

I looked around my photos real quick for a shot of him and didn't find a lot. Thought I had pictures of everybody. Here he is helping Leslie and I take a picture of a navajo rug. It shows his ever present smile. And his giving nature, he was always there to help.

I found one other picture but his eyes are unfortunately closed. Damn! Will probably find something better.

This is from back at the Moose Lodge days. Peter enjoyed his grog and I spent many an afternoon and evening sitting next to him on a barstool. 

You honestly learn a great deal of a person after a beer or a shot and time on an approximate barstool and Peter and I were pretty close.

We would laugh and we would commiserate. He had some pretty awful luck with wives, I think he would be the first to admit that. But it didn't sour his ever sunny disposition.

He was very proud of his daughter, Lacey. And his brother Don in Alaska, who was another amazing guy. Pete often talked to me about going back to Minnesota, where he had inherited family land.

I don't know what more I can say. He had a business on Main St. longer than anybody I know except for Mike Port maybe. Got royally screwed by the guy he sold the shop to. He was a consummate craftsman and a fine artist himself. Best frame restorer I have ever seen, very meticulous and expert at creating lost wax corner moldings. Pete was the first framer I remember in Fallbrook, think he was even here before Richard Goldsmith.

We sort of lost touch when he closed his place down but I would run into him very occasionally when I stopped by the Red Eye. 

He called me a while back and said he finally had restored an old frame for me and would drop it off. It never happened. Oh, well.

We are losing a lot of people now but Pete was taken from us way too early to that accursed disease cancer that strikes down so many. Just sucks how fast the world can fall apart.

He was loved by all. We send love and condolences to his daughter, family and close friends and to his friends at the bar. I look forward to hoisting a shot in his honor very soon.

I am told that there will be a potluck memorial for him this Sunday at the Red Eye Saloon at 1:00 p.m. Unfortunately I will not be in town and will be unable to attend.

Pete, you will be sorely missed!

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postscript - I met with Peter's daughter today. I extended everybody's best wishes. Peter actually was diagnosed, went into the hospital immediately and died within a week, not three weeks. Terrible.