Peter James VanDenBroeck II, 54, was the strongest man anyone in his family has ever known. He was a man of unwavering Christian faith from a young age when his mother lovingly planted the seed in him which would only continue to grow and serve him throughout his life. He faced many adversities, challenges and battles in which his strong faith in God always saw him through. Even after being diagnosed with a terminal illness he remained strong and courageous in his beliefs. Peter was taken from his loving wife's arms to his home in Heaven by God's hands on the morning of July 13, 2026 after an extremely valiant 15 month battle with glioblastoma brain cancer.

Peter was born June 14, 1972 to Peter and Alice (Heacock) VanDenBroeck. He grew up in Freeport, MI and as a young boy loved all things outdoors. He enjoyed going to the beach, swimming in Jordan lake, and fishing and hunting with his sister and brother-in-law who have always been rocks in his life. Some of his fondest memories included riding bikes, playing frisbee, cruising in his Trans-Am with the stereo blasting and general shenanigans with the “Sons of Freeport”. Peter was kind hearted, charismatic and was a great friend to all. Peter’s childhood was also greatly affected by the loss of the older brother whom he adored. This profound loss led him to name his son after Kevin and taught him to appreciate every day of life as a gift. Peter attended Thornapple-Kellogg schools graduating in 1990. A natural athlete, he enjoyed playing football and excelled at wrestling. He was a fierce competitor in everything he did and developed a strong leadership amongst his teammates. He also had a strong, fun-loving romantic side and didn't miss an opportunity to be funny and flirt with the ladies.

After high school, Peter enlisted in the U.S. Army. He lived up to the iconic Army motto of “Be All You Can Be” by becoming an elite soldier in the Army Special Forces. His humble upbringing cultivated Peter’s strong work ethic, determination and drive to succeed at earning the coveted Green Beret. Peter loved to quote Barry Sadler who sang “One hundred men will test today, but only three will win the Green Beret.” He served as a combat engineer and then in the 3rd SFG as an 18C and later 18Z. He was a dedicated soldier, a great teammate, and a fine Green Beret. Peter also became a Master Military Free Fall parachutist, Jump Master and Instructor with a career total of approximately 1488 jumps. Peter was a graduate of the Army's SERE school, earned his Sapper tab, and was a Ranger tab bearer always upholding the Ranger creed with honor. Peter went on many missions and deployments throughout his Army career and served two tours in Afghanistan. Peter received numerous commendations, service awards, and medals in his 21 year Army career, but was never one to boast or brag about it. Peter never complained about lacing up his boots and the hard work it took to embody the Special Forces “De oppresso liber” motto. He loved being a part of the SF Brotherhood and always had great stories to share, but forever remained the Quiet Professional.

Amidst his Army career, Peter met the love of his life Deanna Newton on a blind date during a trip home to Michigan while stationed at Fort Bragg, NC. Deanna often joked about not having anything better to do that night, but the two quickly became inseparable and Peter quickly extended his leave that trip. They say opposites attract, and that could be very true for Peter and Deanna, but no matter how much they differed on certain subjects they always agreed when it came to their love for each other and their love for and raising of their 2 beautiful children together. Peter and Deanna were married in March of 2000, they then welcomed their son Kevin a year later and daughter Abigail in 2004. Peter was a committed husband and a proud father, he loved his family deeply and spoke volumes through his love languages of being a provider and protector for his family. Peter worked hard to take care of his family, and also loved being home with them as much as possible. He always jumped right in to help around the house whether it be dishes, laundry or peeling his wife's oranges. He loved just spending time with and supporting the kids in any way he could from going to their sports practices and games, family meals and trips, hiking, movie nights and watching the Red Wings play, to sharing his love of the outdoors, teaching them marksmanship, sharing his love of music, building a backyard ice rink for skating and hockey, and just being there for them.

After Peter retired from the Army, he and his beloved little family moved home to Michigan to be closer to all their relatives. He spent time working in the insurance industry for about 10 years, which gave him an opportunity to be home with Deanna and the kids. He then transitioned from the desk job into the cell tower construction and technology industry which got him working back out in the great outdoors. Peter was still happily lacing up his boots and working 50 hours a week when he was diagnosed with glioblastoma.

Peter loved life. He had a happy upbeat personality. He loved his people, and once he was your friend he was always your friend. He could always be counted on to have your back. In recent years he loved nothing more than hanging out on the deck with family and friends. Peter was always one for engaging conversations with insightful input. He always left you feeling good and was quick to make you laugh. He was very knowledgeable about world history, musical artists and their stories, and he strived to be a walking hymnal. He was passionate about music his whole life and would rock out anytime anywhere he could. Peter taught himself to play guitar in the last decade and although he was a lifelong fan of rock and metal music, he turned to playing gospel hymns when it came to playing his guitar. This passion for playing hymns brought him much comfort and solace, and he found joy in sharing it with others when he could. Peter felt led in his last year to return to his hometown of Freeport and attend worship services at The Gathering Place church there. His best friend of 50 years, Del Craven was proud to accompany Peter to church where they would sit up front singing and praising God for all to hear. This uplifted Peter, bringing him warmth, joy and peace in his last year. Peter was a man of God and lived and walked by his faith daily.

Peter will be sorely missed on this earth, but we know that he is free and singing with the angels! He is survived by his loving wife of 26 years, Deanna, his intelligent and funny lookalike son Kevin, and his determined, cherished daughter Abigail who shares his infectious smile. Also surviving are Peter’s sister and brother-in-law Diana and Gary Hager who have always been some of his biggest supporters, and his much loved nieces Cassaundra (Jake) Goodner, Kendra Hager and nephew William Hager, darling great niece Reese, and many cousins and extended family and friends. Per Peter’s firm wishes, cremation has taken place and there will be no military honors or formal services held. Peter believed in spending time with people before it’s too late. Memorial contributions can be made to the Green Beret Foundation, Special Forces Foundation, The Glioblastoma Foundation, The Gathering Place of Freeport church, or to Deanna and the kids to have some fun with. A celebration of life for family and friends will be planned at a later date.