Patty L Nugent
Our deepest sincere condolences to Lynn, Beth and Nancy and the entire Williams family on the passing of your family treasure Pete. For our family it has been an absolute pleasure, privilege, and honor to have Pete a part of our lives. Pete and Jeanne knew my name before I could even say or write my name. Words cannot express how much Pete means to me and the selfish loss I feel. Pete and my father Arnold Tucker became very close friends at Miami High School training hard together in Basketball, Track, and football, and they remained life-long friends forever with my dad saying Pete's one of my very best friends. That's saying a lot because Pete and my dad both knew a lot of people through their lifetime associations. Throughout their lives they had an enduring healthy competitive, supportive friendship. They forever laughed together how the Miami High coach would pull my dad out of the practice or real football game yelling at him saying if he didn't or wouldn't run faster or perform the play better, he will and did replace him with "Pistol Pete". The three great friends were Pete, Bruce Smith, and my dad, and all three entered into the Navy but my dad left to play football at Army, which led to Pete and Bruce playing opposing my dad at Army. In February this year I called Pete telling him what my dad said happened on the last play of the 1946 game where Pete had the ball going for the deciding touchdown of the game when the referees called the game as ended, giving Army the win and its 3rd National Championship in a row. I could hear in Pete's voice he really appreciated my call when he said, "Patty thank you so much for calling me and sharing this with me today your call really means a lot to me to hear what you father believes happened at the end of that game".
We watched Pete referee most all of his games, watching him more than the player, and he always made the right calls on the plays. I asked my dad how Pete can keep running up and down the field after so many years ago playing in 1945-48. Wow, unbelievable athletic ability 26 years of college referring! Pete officially became my Uncle Pete, and although the marriage was short lived Pete always allowed me to continue to call him my Uncle Pete. I had the opportunity to see Pete at many events over the many years, and he always spoke directly open, and he honestly shared his personal feelings. We've spoken often the past six years and of course after the end of every Army/Navy game. Pete, especially happy with last year's Navy win 31-13.
My fondest memories of Uncle Pete will always be his beautiful sincerely genuine smile greeting and treating my family and I with respect, love, and acceptance. Some 25-30 years ago he shared with me how blessed he was by God with his three daughters who he said were good daughters and blessed with his wife Jeanne that took care of the household and raising his wonderful daughters. He said, "I really don't know what I would do if I had to raise a son". I was also touched when Pete became teary eyed when he shared with me "I've never in my life felt as proud as when my granddaughter from Goergia called me and she said Grand Daddy I'm so proud of you", in 2016 when he and my dad were being honored by the South Florida Army/Navy Association's for the 70th Anniversary of the famous 1946 game.
Pete living a great full long life is a testament to his faith, fellowship, and commitment to God, family, friends and community. Pete our hero, friend, and Uncle, we'll miss you and you will always be in our hearts forever!! All our love to the Willaims family!
Patty "Tucker" Nugent and Family
