Gregory "Pete" James Beaulieu

I want to be honest with all of you... my father didn't want an obituary. I'm sure he's up there in heaven going "gosh darn it, she actually went through with it." By now Pete should know that I am his carbon copy, right down to his stubbornness, resilience, his dislike of the word no, and even his ADHD.

I entertained his wish for no obituary for about thirty seconds. Then the more I thought about it, the more I realized that a life well lived needs an ending to its epic story, so here we are. I'd apologize Pete, but I know how you feel about apologies. So instead of an apology I will tell these folks about a man who was born once and died not once, but four times.

Many of you think my Dad's name is Pete, shocker Pete is actually not his name. Gregory James Beaulieu was born in Lake City on December 13, 1951 to Irene and Clifford Beaulieu. He was one of 13 children and a decedent of the White Earth Band of Chippewa. Pete was born in an era where society believed that children with ADHD were mentally disabled and considered unteachable. If you asked him he'd say "well this paper says I have a 10th grade education. But do I really have a 10th grade education, I had the same set of primers my entire school career."

Pete was one of the most intelligent people I have ever met. He absorbed any and all information that he could get his hands on. While other kids were watching Saturday morning cartoons, we were watching documentaries. My dad was a fixer of broken things, sick plants, and people. He could build anything and everything out of a few pieces of lumber and scraps that he got out of a dumpster. Where other's saw a run down abandoned cabin, Pete saw possibility. He spent the majority of his weekends restoring the little cabin that became his love letter to his daughter.

You see many people believe that Lazarus is only a story, I know it as truth. On February 8, 2002 my Dad died, he had his first sudden cardiac arrest. On April 26, 2020 Pete had his second sudden cardiac arrest while he was driving. He crossed the center line and hit a truck head on. The impact from the deployed air bag restarted his heart and he once again lived to tell the tale.

Lazarus and Pete are really good friends. On December 11, 2021 Pete was in critical condition with Covid the delta variant, Covid pneumonia, bacterial pneumonia, sepsis, kidney and respiratory failure. Pete was the sickest Covid patient with the shortest vent stay and hospital stay the Mayo Clinic had seen. Pete was living breathing proof that where science ends, miracles take hold.

Covid took so much from us. It robbed Pete of his vitality. Life these past few years has been slower. Our traveling days are distant memories. Projects grew into best laid plans instead of realities. Crowded places were avoided and our country drives grew into deeper conversations. One thing that Covid couldn't take from Pete's was his faith. He always remained true to his statement "keep the faith." Even in the hardest of times Pete would tell us "keep the faith. Because if we do not have faith, then we have nothing at all." His unwavering faith and certainty in the realness of God was a gift. Speaking of gifts, I realize that God gave us these slow years so that I could soak in every sweet detail and drop of time with my old man.

Pete was a laborer working in several factories throughout Red Wing. He met his Partner Sharon while working at Conwed. He was also a nurseryman for many years at the Jewel in Lake City. The Jewel was his favorite job because he got to be outside working with plants and trees.

Pete would tell you his greatest accomplishment in life were his daughters, Jammie and AmandaJean. He raised them to be faith filled, inquisitive and strong women. Pete had a special bond with his youngest daughter AJ, they'd spend their weekends traveling, caring for the cabin, and strolling through antique stores looking for model clipper ships.

Pete enjoyed spending long weekends at the cabin around the camp fire and tending to his apple trees. Pete loved a good road trip, it didn't matter where he went so long as he had a Diet Coke and a sandwich. He was always up for visiting wineries, flea markets, antique malls, restaurants, museums, historical sites, and road side attractions. He never met a junk store he didn't like and if something was on the side of the road with a free sign he'd make you turn around so he could get a better look at it.

Pete died for the final time on 07/28/2026. He is survived by Sharon his partner of 52 years, daughters Jammie and AmandaJean, his grandchildren Sophia, Jack, Nylan, Trey and Kameron. Many sisters and brothers, nieces and nephews. He was proceeded in death by his dog Ruby, his parents, sisters Cherie & Ava Nell, his grandsons Alucious Gregory, Baby E, Emmett James and his grand pup Cullen.

We are forever grateful for the care that Pete received from the Mayo Clinic. We know deep in our hearts that the data Mayo collected from Pete over the years will continue to make a difference in the outcomes of Congestive Heart Failure patients.

As our father always said "Keep The Faith."