Peter Lieu Fleming

Peter Lieu Fleming, known as Pete, of Montrose, Colorado, died from complications of an aggressive form of pancreatic cancer on November 19, 2023, at the Hope West Hospice Care Center in Grand Junction, CO. Pete was 70 years old. He was born in Hot Springs, South Dakota, on December 15th, 1952, to Eleanor Dee Andre and Amour Lieu Fleming. He grew up tight with his best partner in crime and older brother, William (Bill) Fleming. Pete went to Custer High School and was a handsome and talented athlete in high school with many friends. His teenage romance with Kay Marie Olson led to the birth of their first child, Patrick; Pete had to grow up quickly. They married and Pete joined the US Navy at 17 in March 1970. He was given orders to the USS Alamo LSD-33 after boot camp in San Diego, California. As part of the Pacific Fleet he spent nearly three years of a 4-year deployment in Vietnam. After his tour with the Pac Fleet Pete took an 11-year break from the military and worked as a civilian police officer and firefighter in South Dakota, Idaho, and Montana. In 1985, he re-enlisted in the US Navy and served in Desert Storm. The highlight of his military career was running the K9 division for the USN from Washington, DC. With two stars on his National Defense Ribbon, he decided to retire in July 2005. Pete will be remembered fondly as living a life of service. In retirement, he worked at The Star Academy as a youth correctional officer for the State of South Dakota and a brief stint as a long-haul truck driver. In 2018, Pete moved to Colorado, where he relished spending as much time with his kids and grandchildren as possible by traveling between St George, UT, Chico, CA, and Telluride, CO. Pete was a man of adventure who enjoyed hunting and fishing, scuba diving, skiing, and wildlife viewing. He loved driving around the countryside, taking the landscape from his truck. Pete was hilarious and never missed an opportunity to plug in humor. He was easygoing, quick to laugh, and modeled not taking life too seriously. We nicknamed Pete "Animal Whisperer" because he had a deep love and connection to all animals. Over the years, Pete had at least 10 horses, 15 dogs, 5 or 6 cats, 4 birds, and an Iguana! Some of his favorite vacations gravitated to the local zoo, where he found a particular affinity for the silverback gorilla. A patient adventurer and a dreamer, Pete never missed an opportunity to slow down and point out the deer in the field; throughout time and down to his last few weeks, “looky Lieu” enjoyed looking at real estate (that he would never buy). During Pete's last few weeks, his daughter Jennifer set up an altar in his hospice room filled with mementos that honored his life. Grandkids and other visitors used Post-it notes to place one word that described Pete and his life. One-word descriptors included: helpful, caring, love, wanderer, kindness, adventurer, always a friend, chameleon, patient, meticulous, hilarious, runner, calm, and cool. Pete is survived by his son Patrick Fleming (Karina); his daughter Jennifer Lybrand (Rex); his daughter Margaret Farnham; his grandchildren Bridger Fleming, Lucy Lybrand, Morrison Lybrand, Chase Lingafeldt, and Tristan Lingafeldtt; and his brother William Fleming. A funeral service with Military Honors will be at the Black Hills National Cemetery in Sturgis, South Dakota, on Friday, November 24th at 1 pm. All are welcome! Please visit martinmortuary.com to upload photographs and leave digital memories. If you would like to make a memorial donation in Pete's honor, please consider donating to the memorial scholarship fund for his grandkids college education at the following link: https://gofund.me/36adfd03 Pete will remain forever in our hearts as we carry these attributes into our daily lives with intention. "Death ends a life, not a relationship" - Mitch Alborn Tuesdays with Morrie.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.MartinMortuary.com for the Fleming family.