Former Sitkan Peter (Richard) Lindsley Thielke died April 25, 2026, in Ojai, California, following a year-long battle with bile duct cancer.
Peter was born January 17, 1948, in the Salvation Army infirmary, which at the time was located near the Moose Lodge and served as the Sitka maternity hospital.
Peter’s parents were Lindsley Eagles Thielke and Beatrix Stevens Thielke, who had arrived in Sitka in 1940 from New York City.
Peter was very active in sports and played baseball in the summers and varsity basketball in the winter. The rest of his childhood activities involved getting into trouble with his friends Dusty and Chas Kidd. At a young age he found out that by playing with matches he could even get muskeg to burn resulting in a fire department response.
Peter attended Johns Hopkins University, where he played varsity basketball and afterward returned to Sitka to fish on the Baranof Queen for several summers. He received a teaching certificate from the University of Alaska, where he met his wife Susan. They settled in Homer, Alaska, where he built a house and taught seventh graders how to solve math problems. His son and daughter were born and raised in Homer.
After Peter and Susan divorced, Peter moved to Ojai, where he taught at the Oak Grove School and eventually became headmaster before he retired. It was there he married Ellen and was active in the Ojai community. During his retirement years, Peter served on the Senior Canyon Mutual Water Company board of directors and as its president for many years. In recognition of his service, the Water Company dedicated its main storage facility as the Peter Thielke Reservoir.
He is survived by his brother John (Karen) Thielke of Shoreline, Washington; sister Eleanor (David) Thielke of Halfmoon Bay, B.C., Canada; son Sila Thielke (Amity); daughter Aasta (Stefan Straka) Thielke; and his favorites, granddaughters Stella and Calla Straka.
Peter is greatly missed by his family, all his friends, and those who knew him over the years.
