Peter Frank Theis, age 83, died June 22, 2020, in McHenry, IL. Peter was born March 21, 1937, in Chicago, the son of Frank Victor Theis, MD and Hazel Ericsson Theis and brother of Henry E. (Eric) Theis. He is survived by his wife, Jill Pendexter Theis, his children, Juliana Freund and Ethan (Megan) Theis, and his grandchildren, Axel Freund, Andrew Theis and Abigail Theis. He attended the Latin School of Chicago, graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy, New Hampshire, Yale University, University of Stockholm, post-grade study, University of Chicago, MBA, Chicago-Kent College of Law, JD. He was a member of the Illinois Bar. He held many patents in voice technology. He lived on Pistakee Lake in northeastern Illinois for almost fifty years. Peter was an amazingly multi-faceted person. Throughout his life he was full of curiosity, interested in all things and seeing as much of the world as possible. He hiked, canoed, rafted and kayaked in Greenland, Ellesmere Island, most of the rivers of Northern Canada and Alaska including canoeing from the headwaters of the Coppermine River to the Artic Ocean, and canoeing the North Slope of Alaska. He sailed his 26′ sloop, single, the length of Lake Michigan frequently and traveled in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia, Patagonia, and visited most of the National Parks and wilderness areas of the U.S. He loved music of all types, theatre, camping, skiing, cross country skiing, scuba, ice boating and skating, was able to fix anything, was a wonderful carpenter, and was also very knowledgeable in his profession. He was constantly thinking of a better way to do things. He was an avid conservationist and a reader of history. He played the flute, was a member of the Chicago Master Singers, and a member of the Great Lakes Dredge and Philharmonic Society & Friends of Music for more than sixty years. Peter had a very full and interesting life! In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Land Conservancy of McHenry County, P.O. Box 352, Woodstock, IL 60098 or the Sierra Club. Services private by necessity.
Published in Chicago Tribune on Jul. 5, 2020.