Passing of Frater Pete Greve, 580

Saturday, March 21, 2009, Frater Pete Greve, scroll 580, lost his six-month battle with cancer and passed to the Chapter Eternal.  <!--break-->
Less than two weeks ago, nearly 25 Fraters from Pete’s era converged on his family’s house in Omaha and helped by completing a number of small, medium and large projects around the house.  It is the truest sense of 'brotherhood' and being a “Teke for Life” to help a Frater in need and this work weekend showed how important Pete was to this group of Fraters.  This link will take you to the news story of the weekend: http://www.ketv.com/video/18936654/index.html. 
As you’ll read, Pete devoted his life to his family, numerous organizations, God and to TKE.  He founded the Delta Nu alumni association scholarship, which now bears his name, served TKE International, was on the team to resurrect the current chapter website, and had been a regular at the annual Delta Nu golf tournament.  At this year’s golf tournament on June 5th, we will pay tribute to Pete, as well as to Lee King, 296, who passed away tragically last August just after the last tournament.
Included below is Pete’s obituary, including information about memorial donations, as well as the profile that was posted on Methodist Hospitals’ Care Pages website.
 
GREVE, Peter (Pete) Jay, Oct 26, 1951 – Mar 21, 2009
GREVE, Peter (Pete) Jay, Oct 26, 1951 – Mar 21, 2009 of Omaha, passed away peacefully with his family present at his bedside after battling cancer for 6 months.
Pete, son of Elaine Marie Leistad and Elliot Lee Greve was raised in Elk Horn, IA. He attended Elkhorn-Kimballton Public Schools, participating in football, wrestling and baseball. He graduated in May of 1970. He attended Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, MO from 1970-1974 where he was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity, serving as president for 1 year.
Pete was a member of the TKE professional staff in Indianapolis, IN from 1975-1980 where he travelled to over 300 college campuses throughout the US during those years. He earned his MBA degree from the University of Indiana in 1981. Pete partnered with his uncle Edward Leistad as a sales associate with Safeguard Business Systems from 1981 until his death. His distributorship covered territories in Iowa and Nebraska.
He married Stacia Sitzmann-Shinkunas in Sioux City, IA in 1990.
While living in Sioux City for 16 years, Peter was a strong leader with interests in the Cosmopolitan Club, CMBC Men’s Ministry-Operation Timothy, Beginning Experience, Boy’s Club wrestling coach and active in Morningside Lutheran and First Lutheran Churches. Pete moved his family to Omaha in January, 1997 where he was a member of Millard Business Association, TGIF Tips Group, Millard South Music Boosters, St, Paul’s Lutheran Church in Millard, Boys Scouts Troop 60, Papillion, YMCA baseball coach, numerous men’s bible studies and Brookside Church. He was a member of Alcoholics Anonymous for 21 years and participated in the New Warriors Program.
Having been a lifetime St. Louis Cardinal’s fan with Stan “The Man” Musial as his favorite baseball player, Peter was very proud of the “Get Well” card he received personally signed from Stan Musial during his cancer battle. He loved college football with Northwest Missouri State Bearcats as his #1 team.
Pete’s ultimate passions included following Christ, sharing the Lord’s word and being a TKE, establishing the NWMSU TKE Alumni Scholarship Program in 2007.
He was preceded in death by his father, Elliot L. Greve and stepfather, Eugene Hoffmann. He is survived by his wife, Stacia M. Greve; children: Joseph Greve and girlfriend, Mari Longoria of Sidney, NE, Michelle Greve of Sioux City, IA, Keaton Greve and Elliot Greve, both of Omaha; stepdaughter, April Shinkunas of Omaha; stepson, Alan Shinkunas and girlfriend Amy Rasmussen of Chicago, IL; family of adopted grandchild Jackson Otto and his parents, Jason and Tracy of Lincoln, NE; mother, Elaine M. Hoffmann of Avoca, IA; sisters: Janice Norgaard and husband Eldon, Gwen Carman and husband Bruce; brother, Lee Greve and wife Nancy; stepbrothers and spouses: Nick and Barb Hoffmann, Jim and Maureen Hoffmann, Bill and Jenny Hoffmann, John and Bobbi Hoffmann; stepsisters and spouses: Karen and Larry Oller, Denise and Mark Schieber, Sharon and Gary Witmer, Jeanne and Rusty Wintermote, Nancy and Keith Holtz; other relatives and many friends.
Pallbearers are cousins, Don Christoffersen, Brian Greve, Dave Greve,
Gerry Greve and friends, Bruce Barlow, Merle Jones, John Newberry, Steve Martin.

Honorary Pallbearers are the TKE's, Boy Scout Troop 60 and friends of Bill W.
PRAYER SERVICE Tuesday, 7:00 p.m., West Center Chapel. SERVICES Wednesday, 10:00 a.m., Brookside Church, 11607 “M” Circle. GRAVESIDE SERVICE Wednesday, 3:00 p.m., Elk Horn Lutheran Church Cemetery in Elk Horn, IA.
VISITATION from 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, with family receiving friends 4:00-7:00 p.m. at the West Center Chapel.
Memorials are suggested to the family, the Peter J. Greve TKE Alumni Scholarship Fund c/o Northwest Missouri State University or Boy Scout Troop 60, Papillion.
HEAFEY-HEAFEY-HOFFMANN-DWORAK-CUTLER
WEST CENTER CHAPEL
78th & West Center
391-3900
 
Pete’s profile from the Methodist Hospital Care Pages website:
Pete Greve is a devoted husband, father of 4, step-father of 2, and step-grandfather of 1. He has battled with health problems over the past 3 years starting with Pulmonary Fibrosis (scarring of the lungs) which was diagnosed in September of 2005. Pete has never been a smoker, has not worked around chemicals and we have not been able to quite understand how this scarring started. He has been receiving very good health care for his lung problems including making a trip to Denver, CO in September of this year in hopes of finding additional medications that will slow the scarring process down. The National Jewish Research Hospital visit lasted 4 days comprising of back to back tests at a facility that is nationally known for its progress with lung diseases. A new medication was suggested as well as a better understanding of why Pete has developed this auto immune disorder. We were given hope for Pete's future lasting beyond 5 years, the average life span of a person with PF once diagnosed.
Unfortunately, Pete's health has taken a turn. He developed a sore under his tongue on the right side that was determined in late September to be cancer. He underwent surgery on Oct. 6 to have a partial glossectomy (tongue removal) and partial neck dissection (removal of lymph nodes from neck to be biopsied). Surgery lasted a couple of hours and resulted in about a 30% loss of Pete's tongue and 45 stitches in his neck area. Biopsies showed lymph nodes to be clean and no further treatment was ordered. Pete began to notice small lumps in his neck area in early December and after a CT scan, was found to have tumors growing in his jaw and neck. A needle biopsy showed cancer and surgery was scheduled for Dec. 19. This surgery lasted a little over 4 hours and came with disappointing news. Pete underwent removal of much of the tissue and nodes on the right side of his neck as well as a golf ball sized tumor in his jaw and nerves, veins and muscles. Recovery has been a little slower than the first surgery.
Pete had a feeding tube inserted in to his abdomen on Monday, Jan. 12. Radiation to his mouth will make it impossible to eat during the next months. Pete began chemotherapy and radiation on the week of Jan. 19. Additional tumors have been found to be growing since Dec. 19 surgery. On February 10th, drs. ceased radiation therapy. He is undergoing weekly chemo to attempt to shrink the fast growing tumors. We have been told to go home and make memories. Pete's healing is ultimately in God's hands and may take place in his kingdom and not on earth.
Please keep Pete and our family in your prayers.