Peter G. Pfendler, 63

Peter Gregory Pfendler, 63, of Petaluma, Calif., died Sunday, June 17, 2007, at his home in Petaluma.

Born July 5, 1943 in Lafayette, Indiana. Graduated West Lafayette High School, 1961. Graduated United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, 1965. Received MBA from UCLA, 1966. Served as Air Force pilot on active duty from 1966 to 1970, flying 139 combat missions in Vietnam as pilot of F-4 Phantom II. Received 16 combat medals, including Distinguished Flying Cross. Honorably discharged as Captain, 1970.

Graduated Harvard Law School, 1973. Founded Polaris Aircraft Leasing Corporation, San Francisco, California, 1974. Polaris was the world's largest commercial aircraft leasing company at the time with airliners leased at 25 commercial airlines. Sold Polaris to General Electric Credit Corporation, 1989.

Moved to cattle ranch on Sonoma Mountain, east of Petaluma, California, 1984. Devoted to life-long love of wildlife conservation, ardent fly fisherman and hunter. Served on Board of Directors of National Academy of Sciences, The California Nature Conservancy and The Peregrine Fund.

Battled lymphoma since 2005. Survived by wife Kimberly Pfendler and their young son Nicholas Peter Pfendler. Also survived by brother, David Pfendler, M.D. of McMinnville, Oregon.

A private memorial service will be held at the Pfendler Ranch.