Peter ‘Pete’ Ivancovich Teller
1945 — March 22, 2024
“Go placidly amid the noise and haste and remember what peace there may be in silence.” (Desiderata)
Peter “Pete” Ivancovich Teller, loving husband, father, son, brother, brother-in-law and grandfather, passed away on March 22, in Billings, Mont. Pete was born in 1945 in San Francisco, Calif., to Frederic and Pauline Teller, the second oldest of four children. He was raised in Marin County in northern California.
Pete joined the Marine Corps Reserves after high school, adding to his self-discipline and work ethic, and also attended Cal Poly, earning a degree in architecture. While never directly working in that industry, he maintained a love and ability for drawing and sketching both nature and construction applications his whole life. Construction, carpentry, building and craftsman skills were common threads through his entire existence. His spectrum of completed “projects” are too numerous to count, however, key highlights are: his beloved cabin in Hoback Ranches, complete home remodels and major additions in several states, 50-plus years of other fine carpentry and millwork, and leading a conservation team of public and private resources that built a fish ladder on a tributary of Montana’s Bighorn River. Other skills honed over the years — Spey casting, handmade outdoor gear, Spanish, reloading, watercolors, fly tying and the concertina — added layer after layer to his full life.
It was at Cal Poly that Pete met Sandy, starting a loving relationship of adventure that spanned nearly 60 years. The two enjoyed exploring close to home (wherever that was at the time), as well as Central and South America, Russia, New Zealand, Australia, Europe and all over the western U.S.
Pete’s construction career started in the Hawaiian islands. Joining Bechtel after that, he lived and worked in the SF bay area, Wyoming, North Dakota, Southern California, Arkansas, New Jersey, Texas, three stints in Montana, Northern California, Chile and Alberta. Pete’s Bechtel career followed major market trends in large industrial construction for over 40 years. He led large projects in coal-fired power plants, nuclear plant upgrades, large refinery upgrades, mining/metals and Canadian tar sands refining. In total, he and Sandy moved 23 times, every one casting memories of people and places that he would hold dear his whole life. Lifelong friendships were forged with similar traveling families in Bechtel, as well as new friends made in each new town.
Retirement brought Pete and Sandy back to Billings, although lots of time was spent at their cabin near Pinedale, Wyo. The cabin was home base for old friends, hunting, fishing, building and time with the local volunteer fire department. The two also camped and traveled frequently in retirement.
Pete is survived by his wife, Sandy; his son, Doug (Jordan); and two wonderful granddaughters. He is also survived by his brother Rick (Carol); and his two sisters, Joan (Jim) and Anne (Marc).
A celebration of life to honor Pete will be held this summer in the Pinedale/Bondurant area (date to be announced at a later time).
