Peter Eric Kozak

Peter Eric Kozak, 70, passed away suddenly from a heart attack at his home in Corvallis, Oregon on March 16, 2025. Born May 7, 1954, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania to Joseph A. and Dorothy (née Taraldsen) Kozak, Pete was the seventh of eight children. Following the death of Joseph, an attorney, in 1958, Dorothy and her mother moved the family to Valley City, North Dakota in 1959 and then to Lincoln, Nebraska in 1963, where Dorothy taught music education at the University of Nebraska. Pete graduated from Pius X Catholic High School in 1972, excelling in wrestling, football, and band (trumpet). In 1976 he graduated with a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Nebraska. Although he turned down an opportunity to play Husker football for esteemed coach Tom Osborne, his affinity for Husker football lasted the rest of his life. Throughout high school and college, Pete hitchhiked extensively throughout North America, collecting adventure stories that would entertain family and friends for decades. He spent his college summers repairing railroads in central Nebraska and moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota after graduation. In 1979 he found his way to Oregon and was living in Portland when Mt. St. Helens erupted the following year. While performing at an open mic night on a visit back to Lincoln on January 28, 1981, Pete met the love of his life, Dianne (née Moody). It was love at first sight, and later that year on November 7, Pete and Dianne married in Lincoln. They moved to Corvallis, Oregon in 1984. In 1989, they welcomed their daughter Andrea. Pete and Dianne spent 40 years in Corvallis, building a loving family and community. They cherished Oregon's natural beauty, spending many happy hours walking its trails with their beloved German Shepherd, Greta. With the birth of their granddaughters Ingrid in 2021 and Liesel in 2023, Pete became a proud and doting “Gramps.” In all, he and Dianne enjoyed more than 43 years of joyful marriage as true partners and companions. Pete's professional career was defined by service, working primarily with children, teens, and adults with disabilities. After earning a master's degree in education at Western Oregon University, he taught special education for more than 20 years, running the Transitions program at West Albany High School until his retirement in 2020. Students and colleagues appreciated his trademark warmth, humor, and music. Throughout his life, Pete was an accomplished, prolific, and devoted musician and songwriter. He immersed himself in Bluegrass, traditional, folk, and country music. He was masterful on guitar, banjo, mandolin, and vocals, and a disciplined student of the Dobro, harmonica, fiddle, and cornet. Pete played in countless ensembles over the decades, including Yellow Rose, The Rubes, and The Bush Pilots. He recorded at least two albums, including Drinking Friends in 1983 and The Rubes in the late 1990s. He imparted his love of music to dozens of students over the years through private lessons in his home studio. In retirement, Pete shared his musical gifts with residents of senior living and memory care facilities throughout Corvallis and Albany, performing classic tunes for a captive and appreciative audience. In recent years, Pete expanded his repertoire to include Irish traditional music and enjoyed regular jam sessions with his son-in-law, Dave. A man of many talents and interests, Pete was also a fourth-degree black belt and teacher of Tae Kwon Do. He could yodel, he could juggle, and he could recall most television theme songs from the 1950s and '60s. He collected—and voraciously read—history books on topics ranging from World War II, the Roman Empire, and India. He studied graphic design at Linn-Benton Community College. He spent a year as a production assistant in Hollywood in the early 1990s, where Brad Pitt reportedly asked to take banjo lessons from him (Pete declined). He was proud of his Norwegian and Slovak family ancestry and traveled to both countries to meet distant cousins and experience their cultures. He was passionate about democracy and justice and could always be counted on for informed and nuanced analyses of current events. Pete loved to connect with people wherever he went—whether a stranger with a Nebraska hat at the grocery store or someone walking a German Shepherd in the neighborhood. He could (and would) strike up a conversation with just about anyone. Many of his friendships started this way. Family and friends treasured his loyalty, good humor, sage advice, and elaborate story-telling. Pete is survived by his wife Dianne; daughter Andrea (David) Kozak-Oxnard; granddaughters Ingrid (3) and Liesel (1) Kozak-Oxnard; and seven siblings around the country: Andrew Kozak; Mary (Andrew) Coen; Ann Kozak (Christopher Stein); Dory (Andrew) Goodman; Jne (Bill) Van Clief; Joe (Leigh Ann) Kozak; and Harley Jane Kozak. He is also survived by his mother-in-law Norma Moody; brothers- and sister-in-law; nearly two dozen nieces and nephews; numerous cousins near and far; and so many friends, bandmates, and former colleagues. He is preceded in death by his parents Joseph and Dorothy Kozak, father-in-law Wayne Moody, nephew Matthew Coen, several dear friends, and beloved dog Greta. A celebration of life will be at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Corvallis at 2945 NW Circle Blvd. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to a Democratic candidate or progressive organization of your choice.

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Peter Eric Kozak

May 7, 1954 - March 16, 2025