Pete Galnares Solis, formerly of O’Fallon, Illinois, passed away at the age of 95 on April 9, 2025 in Vancouver, WA in the presence of his family.

Pete was born on September 8, 1929 in Rockport, TX to Pedro and Guadelupe Solis. He was the only boy in his family and was the youngest of six siblings. His mother died when he was about 14 years old. Pete’s father was a fisherman. Pete spent lots of time helping his father fish for flounder, oysters and shrimp on the Gulf of Mexico. He also worked for a time in the Texas oil fields.

When Pete was 21, he was drafted into the U.S. Army. He served during the Korean War in Germany as a radio operator using Morse code. He was discharged from the Army after a few years and returned home. Soon after, he joined the U.S. Air Force and studied electronics and radar.

Pete’s military career took him to many locations throughout the United States. He was stationed at bases in Mississippi, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Alaska, California, Colorado, and Nebraska. In 1973, after 20 years in the military, Pete retired and began his civilian career.

Because of Pete’s extensive computer hardware experience and specialized training, he was highly sought after by military contractors. Over the next many years, he worked for Bunker-Ramo, Sperry-Rand, and Unisys Corporation, retiring in 1989.

Pete met the love of his life, Mary Bunder, in 1959, while stationed in Belleville, Illinois. It was love at first sight for Pete. He knew she was the one. At one point in their courtship, he was stationed in a remote area of the Yukon Peninsula (Alaska). His only form of communication with Mary was by handwritten letters. They survived the test and were married on March 7, 1967. Pete and Mary were married for 51 years before she died in 2018.

Pete and Mary welcomed their only child Mark in 1974. Pete was a loving father. After he retired, Pete devoted his time and energy to his wife and special-needs son. In recent years, as Pete’s health started to decline, he made the difficult decision to relocate himself and Mark to Vancouver, Washington to be near family. His final days were spent under the care of a team of dedicated hospice staff and local family members.

Pete is survived by his son, Mark, his niece Ardis Nelson (Curt), nephews John Van Boxtel (Carol), Glen Van Boxtel (Betty), Henry Bunder, and Mike Bunder, and several great-nieces and nephews.

A private family celebration will be held locally in Vancouver, WA. A graveside service and burial will be held on Friday, April 18 at 3:00 at Lake View Memorial Gardens in Fairview Heights, Illinois.

Gifts may be made in Pete's honor to Stephen's Place, Vancouver, WA @ https://www.stephensplace.org….

Send to someone

Share this obituary with others

https://everloved.com/life-of/pete-solis/obituary/

Copy