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Author Topic: Pete Bergstrom - RIP  (Read 1880 times)

Offline Dennis Adamisin

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Pete Bergstrom - RIP
« on: January 27, 2021, 05:26:58 PM »
Woke this morning to the news that Pete Bergstrom has passed. Pete was a long time modeler, but I knew him primarily as a Brother-in-Law.  When I first met him my modeling pursuits were pushed aside while I chased my career and raised kids.  Indeed, "Unca Pete" was great to our kids.

Pete worked for Horizon Hobbies and was instrumental in trying to bring Horizon into CL supply.  Among the highlights were dedicated CL versions of the Evolution 36 and 60, plus a terrific little 40 that only made it to prototype stage.  These may have been the last new CL engines we will see from a mainstream manufacturer.  Of course he had a hand in the Hangar9 PT-19, and he sent me a couple pictures of a take-apart full stunter that he had the H9 people working on.

I think the last time I saw him was a few years ago when he gave the sermon at the FCM meet.  I'm sure that his friends in the PNW will have more to add.

In recent years Pete had opened a restaurant, "Bergies" in Monticello IL.  My wife and I were planning on showing up unannounced some day and making a nuisance of ourselves!



God Bless his family and God Speed Pete. 
Denny Adamisin
Fort Wayne, IN

As I've grown older, I've learned that pleasing everyone is impossible, but pissing everyone off is a piece of cake!

Offline Skip Chernoff

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Re: Pete Bergstrom - RIP
« Reply #1 on: January 27, 2021, 06:00:20 PM »
Sorry for your loss

Offline Paul Walker

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Re: Pete Bergstrom - RIP
« Reply #2 on: January 27, 2021, 08:01:15 PM »
Wow. Really sad news. I was stunned.

Pete and I go back the the early '80's. One event I especially remember.  It was '85. I was headed to the Team Trials in Detroit. He decided he wanted to go as well, so we drove together in my car. As a side note, we drove the entire 48 hours worth without stopping overnight anywhere!
On the first night, I had the late night/early morning shift. It was in mid to eastern Montana. I had the cruise control set at 100 for many hours. I finally tired, and stopped to switch drivers. Pete picked it up, and shortly crossed into North Dakota. He asked what the speed limit was, and I told him 55. It was quite the drop from 100! He set the cruise at 67  and within minutes, he came upon a patrolman standing in the road pointing for him to pull over. He did. The officer said he was doing 67, and he confirmed it was 67 he was doing. He said wait while he prepared the ticket!  While the patrolman was gone, he started shaking and broke out in a sweat.  I asked him if he was OK, and he simply said...he was AWOL. He was an Army helicopter pilot at the time, and he said he left one day before his leave. He was afraid the patrolman was going to inform the Army. He simply got a 5 dollar ticket that was taken care of immediately.  He was in a cold sweat for hours after that stop.  Bottom line was the Army never found out!

The real reason he went with me was to see a young miss Marie of the Adamisin clan. They ended up married some time later.
So, it was a successful trip....I made the team, and he got married!

To close out this story, move forward to 2016. Pete had run the RC Pylon event for many years, and was running it in 2016
 I was there at the pylon site to visit with a friend from Spokane flying pylon.  I asked him if he knew Pete, and indicated he was a good friend of Pete. Soooooo, I told my friend when he went out to fly, mention to Pete that there were Military people there wanting to see him about an AWOL event in 1985. He did, and Pete fell for it hook, line, and sinker!  They had a break a few minutes later and Pete wandered in to get out of the sun and saw me there. He knew he had been had. Instead of getting upset, we simply had a great hug. Later that evening we had a Salmon dinner in our RV, and we talked for hours. Great times.


This news was a real shock. I had talked with him on FB just a week ago. He seemed fine. However, he lost one of his restaurants due to Covid, and his second was just hanging on, but he was hopeful. This might have weighed more on him than he let on.

RIP my friend. Will miss you.




« Last Edit: January 28, 2021, 01:14:55 PM by Paul Walker »

Offline Alan Resinger

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Re: Pete Bergstrom - RIP
« Reply #3 on: January 28, 2021, 07:27:38 AM »
Really sorry to hear.  I started fkying with Pete in the early 80's when he was still jn the Army.  We went toogether to the Reno Nats in 84 and Pete lost his model in practice before the contest started and ended up judging.  We flew a lot together until he moved back East in the late 80's or early 90's.  He and Marie were very good friends.

Offline Steve Scott

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Re: Pete Bergstrom - RIP
« Reply #4 on: January 28, 2021, 10:21:00 AM »
This is really a shock.  When I got out of the Air Force in the mid '80s I moved back to the PNW and hooked up with the Skyraiders.  Pete had just separated from the Army and was running for club president.  I met both he and Marie.  He would fly and she would judge many contests.

He briefly owned a hobby shop (I think in Parkland, WA) then got involved with RC and pylon racing.  I knew of his efforts when he was with Horizon Hobby pertaining to the PT-19 profile.

Locally we just bid farewell to Bob Baldus of Iowa, another kingpin of the segment.   We're all getting old.  Very old.

Offline Randy Powell

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Re: Pete Bergstrom - RIP
« Reply #5 on: January 28, 2021, 10:21:51 AM »
Like others, I met Pete in the early 80s. When he was in this area, we flew together quite a bit. I remember that huge stunter he flew with an ST60. Pete was a good guy and I will miss him.
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 Randy Powell

Offline Will Hinton

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Re: Pete Bergstrom - RIP
« Reply #6 on: January 28, 2021, 01:20:04 PM »
They all hurt, but this one even more!  Pete served as the treasurer for FCM for a few years, and we flew together a couple of times at the FCM weekend event,  Pete sent me one of the new 60's to use when they first came out, a great move from a friend.
We communicated regularly for a very long time, even after he had to give up the treasurer's position due to a move, and I will miss him until we see each other up there.  The Toledo Show was never the same after Pete was no longer presenting there.
See ya later, my friend, sing loud up there and play that bass even louder.
John 5:24   www.fcmodelers.com

Offline TCL

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Re: Pete Bergstrom - RIP
« Reply #7 on: January 28, 2021, 09:25:44 PM »
I'm so sorry for your loss.

Offline Phil Spillman

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Re: Pete Bergstrom - RIP
« Reply #8 on: January 29, 2021, 10:13:36 AM »
In the early to mid-90's Pat Rowen an I drove out to Detroit to fly in their Stunt Contests. Pete was there and his Hobby Shop sponsored the prizes and awards. He and your sister and all of us went out to dinners together and had a marvelous time! I now cherish all those happy memories of events and great people of yesteryear.

So sorry for your loss. Pete was a really nice person to have known.


phil spillman
Phil Spillman


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