PETER DANIEL SHEMITZ

December 24, 1959 - July 2, 2015

Peter Daniel Shemitz, 55, of Leawood, KS passed away Thursday, July 2, 2015 at his home. Funeral services will be 1:00 p.m., Friday, July 3, at The Louis Memorial Chapel, 6830 Troost Ave. Burial Sheffield Cemetery. Kindly omit flowers. The family suggests contributions to the Kansas City Wildlands program through Bridging the Gap,the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment or Congregation BIAV. Pete was born in New Haven, CT, to Norman and Mary Shemitz. After graduating high school he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in History from Hobart and William Smith College on the shore of Lake Seneca, in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York. In 1990, he earned his Master’s Degree in Environmental Policy from the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment. While teaching at the University of Kansas, Pete met the love of his life, Flora Winitz, and they married in 1994. After marrying, Pete worked for the City of Kansas City, Missouri first in the Department of Neighborhood and Community Services and then in the Office of Environmental Management as a Resource Conservation Specialist and Director of the Leaves and Brush program. He went on to work for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. In 2001, Governor Holden appointed Pete to his Energy Policy Task Force which traveled throughout Missouri holding hearings to develop a statewide energy policy. Pete moved into the private sector in 2007 when he took the position of Environmental Safety and Health Engineer, Senior at Lockheed Martin retiring in 2014. Pete also served for many years on the Board of Directors Kansas City Wildlands, which focuses on the restoration of native habitats and ecosystems within the Kansas City area. Pete was first and foremost a family man. One of Pete's most rewarding hobbies was researching and tracing his family's genealogy back six, and in some cases seven, generations. But, Pete's primary focus was always Flora and their three children: Adam, Dylan, and Stefanie Autumn. The family enjoyed hiking, camping and other outdoor activities. Pete's love of nature and passion for sustaining and improving the environment is what he will be remembered most for. Pete is survived by his wife and children; brother: Jonathan Shemitz, Santa Cruz, CA; sisters: Ellen Shemitz, Guilford, CT, Leigh Shemitz and husband Chris Winters, Stamford, CT; parents: Norman and Mary Shemitz.