On the first day of spring, March 19th, 2024, Peter John Popovich of Pleasant Hill, CA left us after 63 years of a phenomenally unique and vibrant life.

Pete was born in Detroit, Michigan to Milan and Mildred Popovich. His active childhood was full of escapades with his older siblings Sandra and Michael, and his love of the outdoors was born with annual summer vacations to Mullett Lake in northern Michigan. He’d wake up every morning before dawn so he could spend daybreak on the calm water in a rowboat with his fishing pole and the promise of a nice bucket of perch for that night’s dinner table.

Pete graduated from Cass Tech High School in 1979, and went on to Western Michigan University where he studied Print Science and made lifelong friends in his chapter of Sigma Chi fraternity. He graduated in 1982 and moved to San Francisco where he began a 40+ year career in the printing industry. Always the adventurer, he spent whatever free time he had funneling his relentless energy and enthusiasm for the outdoors into year-round hobbies such as hunting, fishing, camping, and piloting his boat through local rivers and lakes.

Pete was a loving father to Hunter Popovich and Jamie and Bryce Berge. Through their childhoods and beyond, he boisterously hosted campouts, boating days, and pool parties that occasionally involved Pete jumping off his roof into his pool. He started his own business in 2022, continuing to provide printing services to his clients while working part-time as a delivery driver for a friend's business. He spent his long days of driving on the phone with loved ones, taking breaks for outdoor walks at the Lafayette Reservoir.

On December 5, 2023 Pete celebrated 20 years of sobriety. In the AA community, he actively sponsored many men in their journey to recovery and was always ready to be of service. This work aligned with his deep faith, and at the Danville Community Presbyterian Church where he ushered every Sunday, his community benefited from his constant spirit of giving. Pete selflessly spent his time coaching for sports teams and cooking for events. He was a valued member of the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Posse and the Concord Sportsmen’s Club.

Known affectionately as “Pistol” Pete, he will be remembered by his army of adoring family members and friends for his Thanksgiving turkey carving, his ability to source deals on mass quantities of food, his spontaneous shoulder massages, his contagious laugh, his lively card games, his willingness to help anyone move, his zeal for fireworks, and his boundless love of bacon.

Pete was preceded in death by his parents and is survived by a multitude of family, friends, and chosen family.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Community Presbyterian Church on Saturday, May 4, 2024, with a livestream available. Further information will be updated on this site. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Friends of Camp Concord (www.friendsofcampconcord.org) an organization close to Pete’s heart.

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