|
About the Pete Duel Memorial Site
At the height of his fame, and in the last years of his life, Peter Ellstrom Deuel — later known simply as Pete Duel — was most famous for his portrayal of Hannibal Heyes, one of two outlaws on the run for their amnesty in the Universal Studios hit western series, Alias Smith & Jones (view the Starz Westerns Promo).
But his following also remembers him just as well from his hit series Love on a Rooftop and from his roughly three dozen Guest Appearances on a variety of popular television programs at the time (see Filmography).
Pete was born on February 24, 1940, in Rochester, New York, to Ellsworth S. Deuel, a physician, and Lillian Marcella Ellstrom, a first-generation Swedish-American. He had both a younger brother and sister, Geoffrey and Pamela, respectively. Pete moved to Hollywood in the early 1960s, where he lived modestly and never married. He became as popular as he was talented.
Pete’s last year on Earth was 1971. After 33 Alias Smith & Jones episodes to his credit, and for reasons primarily known only to him, Pete shot himself in the early morning hours of December 31 in what was described by his brother as an “accidental suicide.”
Pete’s death was a stunning blow to those who had grown to know and love him over the years of his acting career. His boyish charm and handsome good looks, along with his natural-bred talent and promising portfolio, made him adored and respected around the world. Not a cross word was ever published about him. In his personal life, he rescued stray dogs, fought for the environment, and was an advocate for world peace (listen to Pete Duel Reads His Poetry). In essence, he was a good soul, a rare and gifted human being, and a man before his time (see Biography).
In short, the Pete Duel Memorial Site contains more than 500 pictures of Pete Duel (many of them from original sources), and roughly 5,000 video captures, along with more than 100 video clips. The Pete Duel Memorial Site has had more than 250,000 visits and about 3.1 million hits (more than 100,000 hits a month) since its inception.
I hope you find the Pete Duel Memorial Site a dignified expression of the love and respect Pete Duel deserved and hopefully had a glimpse of sensing before he left. For now, more than 36 years later, Pete is still winning and breaking hearts around the globe. He will be as forever loved as he is forever missed.
-Laura, the Pete Duel Memorial Site Creator
Special Note: Pete’s brother, Geoff Deuel, signed the Pete Duel Memorial Site guestbook on September 10, 2007. He didn't leave any words, just that he had been there.
Thank you to everyone who leaves such poignant and heartfelt expressions on the Guestbook — and for all your kind words about this site. Your kinship is extremely appreciated. Also please note that all donations to the Pete Duel Memorial Site, including comments, are the property of the Pete Duel Memorial Site.
If you find anything missing from this site that you would love to share with Pete's fans, let me know! In the meantime, here's a very brief video clip of Pete's Childhood Home, a quick shot of the front of the house and then a look around what once was the backyard.
|
The Pete Duel Memorial Site 
