Peter Louis Pavlina
Oct. 17, 1925-Aug. 22, 2014
Los Altos Hills, California

Community leader Peter Louis Pavlina passed away Aug. 22 at his home after a short illness.

He was born Oct. 17, 1925 in Mountain View, California. His father Luka immigrated in 1913, and his mother Kate Grcich in 1920. Both entered the U.S. through Ellis Island. They met in Mountain View and married in 1921. They were orchardists raising apricots, cherries and prunes in the Santa Clara Valley and peaches, pears and prunes in Yuba County.

Following graduation from Mountain View High School in 1943, Peter enlisted in the Air Force serving as a communications expert in North Africa. Following his discharge he returned to Mountain View, attended San Jose State, and married his high school sweetheart, Carole Taylor in 1946. Peter and Carole built their first home in Los Altos in 1950 where they raised their four children.

Peter continued to work with the family orchards and was also employed by the Paul A. Mariani Co. as an accountant. After he received his Real Estate license, Peter opened his own company developing the family orchards and other properties throughout the Valley. He also continued working for the Mariani Co. overseeing their Real Estate ventures.

Peter was proud of his activities in the community and business affairs in the county. His proudest accomplishment was the 12 years he served as a public member of Santa Clara County (LAFCO) Local Agency Formation Commission, during which time he helped form many of the city and county boundaries that exist today. He was the chairman of that agency in 1978 when approximately 10,000 residents were shifted from San Jose to Cupertino.

In addition, Peter was a board member of the El Camino Hospital Foundation, director of the Santa Clara County Boy Scouts, president of the Sunnyvale Chamber of Commerce, member of the Tri-County Apartment Association and the City of Sunnyvale Downtown Committee, and a charter member of both the Cupertino Kiwanis Club and Am-Slav Club. He was a member of the Palo Alto Elks Club and Los Altos Golf and Country Club.

Peter was an adventurous, hardworking family man. He had a traveling spirit and sought adventures all over the world. He generously shared this love with family as he often took them on trips, especially enjoying family vacations at their home in Maui. He enjoyed his wide circle of friends and thrived on hard work and honest ethics, expecting nothing less from his family and friends.

He loved all sports from youth to high school, college and pros. He especially liked the 49ers, following them from Kezar Stadium to Candlestick. He was an avid golfer enjoying many rounds with his wife and friends at the L.A. Hills Club and other courses around the area, Palm Springs and Maui.

During his lifetime he watched the Santa Clara County burst from a sleepy farming community to become the technology mecca it is today. He remained active and interested in all aspects of the community and in the activities of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Peter is survived by his wife of 67 years, Carole; his brother Milt (Carolyn) of Phoenix; four children, Linda Wilder (Art) of Sebastopol, Louise Hering (Mike) of Oroville, Lou Pavlina (Carol) of Brookdale and Laurie Lincoln (Todd) of Princeton, New Jersey; 12 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.