Peter “Chip” Francis Strait, 77, of Willow Springs, Missouri, and formerly of Cedar Falls, Iowa, died Nov. 18, 2022, at the Ozark Medical Center in West Plains, Missouri, of a heart attack.
He was born May 22, 1945, in Liverpool, England, the son of Francis and Marie (Holden) Strait.
Pete grew up in Perry and graduated from Perry High School in 1963.
He served in the U.S. Army from Feb. 4, 1964, to Dec. 15,1966. While in the Army, Pete achieved the rank of sergeant.
Following his military service, Pete managed King Loan and Associates financial offices in Omaha, Nebraska, overseeing lending operations and developing a program of dealer purchases and controlled delinquencies (as a repo man).
Pete then transitioned to work in the automobile industry as a finance and insurance manager, setting up and running a leasing company for dealerships, first in Nebraska and then Kansas, before relocating to Hubbard, Iowa, and then to Cedar Falls/Waterloo, Iowa.
He went on to become a loan officer and vice president of First Security State Bank before pursuing a career as a real estate agent for Trapp and Associates until his retirement in 2008.
Throughout his career, Pete earned a number of professional accreditations, including life, health and annuities insurance licenses, FINRA Series 7 (General Securities Representative Exam) qualification, certification from the Real Estate Institute, as a buyer’s agent and senior real estate specialist. Pete also successfully completed numerous educational courses in the area of banking and lending.
Pete married Rozanne Van Pelt on June 1, 1968, at St. Patrick Church in Bayard, Iowa. To this union twin sons, Anthony John and William John, were born Aug. 17, 1972, in Kansas City, Missouri.
During his military service, Pete received specialized armorer training. This led to a lifelong interest in firearms, which he pursued through his gunsmithing hobby. He also enjoyed metalworking and was a skilled welder. His hobbies allowed him to express his creativity, which expanded to include stained glass work and custom pen making.
After retiring, Pete and Rozanne relocated to a three-acre property in southern Missouri, where he built a large shop to pursue his hobbies while also helping with his brother-in-law’s cattle operations. An animal lover his whole life, Pete enjoyed wrangling cattle on his ATV and developed a special rapport with Old Grump, the bull whom he would walk alongside on trips to and from the barn. He never minded getting his hands dirty and would happily return home covered in hydraulic fluid or worse after a day repairing farm equipment or doctoring cattle – much to Rozanne’s exasperation.
He is survived by Rozanne; his sons and their spouses, Anthony (Jana) and William (Tammy); four grandchildren, Drake, Saxon, Sage and Rowan; brothers (and their spouses), Tom (Mary), Steve (Pat), Greg (Dee), Chris (Tami), Brian (Lisa) and James (Rebecca); sister, Teresa (Jim) Carmichael; brothers-in-law, Ron, Greg (Brenda) and Rich Van Pelt; many nieces and nephews; and his faithful dog, Bud.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Graveside services will take place at the St. Mary Cemetery in Jamaica on Saturday, June 24 at 10:30 a.m. Memorials may be directed to the family.
