Dr. Leland Carl “Pete” Zilles passed away on April 13, 2024, at the age of 87 in Bellefontaine, Ohio.
Pete was born on March 11, 1937, on his grandparents’ farm in Riley Township, Sandusky County, Ohio, to the late Earl and Marian (Reed) Zilles.
Pete grew up on a dairy farm in Riley Township near Fremont where his family raised Brown Swiss cattle. They showed their cows at local, state, and national shows. Pete was very involved in 4-H and was even named 4-H Youth of the Year in 1954.
For the first six years of his education, Pete attended the Riley Center one room schoolhouse along with his older sister Janice. He and Janice would arrive early to school to put firewood in the stove so the building would be warm before classes began. There were eight grades in that one room, and three students total in Pete’s class. After Riley Center, Pete attended Fremont Ross High School, graduating in 1955 with a class of more than 200 students. Pete rarely missed a gathering or reunion for the class of 1955 and was proud of his Fremont roots and upbringing.
After high school, Pete attended The Ohio State University where he began his studies in the College of Agriculture. He went on to advanced studies at the College of Veterinary Medicine and graduated with his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1961. While at Ohio State, Pete was a member of the Alpha Zeta agricultural honor society and Omega Tau Sigma veterinary fraternity. He also participated in cross country, receiving the Freshman Sweater Award in 1955.
Pete met Joyce Ann (Titsch) Zilles, his future bridge partner and partner in life, in zoology class during his freshman year at Ohio State. Pete was a loving, supportive husband, and he and Joyce enjoyed 63 years of marriage filled with family, good friends, travel, golf, Ohio State football games in the Horseshoe, and of course, lots of cards! Trips to their house in Fairfield Glade, TN, and winters spent at Callaway Gardens, GA, were especially memorable.
Pete and Joyce were blessed with two wonderful children, Earl (Cathy) Zilles II and Sara (Matt) Stiffler; three grandchildren: Nicki (Craig) Poeppelman, Benjamin Stiffler, and William Stiffler; and four great-grandchildren: Lulu, Hutch, Ford, and Baker Poeppelman.
Pete is also survived by his sisters Janice Sherer and Judith (David) Reed and sister-in-law Karen Bright. His many nieces and nephews brought him joy at family gatherings, especially if there was a pinochle game involved.
Upon graduating from Ohio State, Pete and Joyce moved to Lincroft, NJ, where he was the farm veterinarian for Marlu Jersey Farm. They returned to Ohio two years later when they bought a veterinary practice in West Liberty, where they lived for more than 50 years. Known to many in the area simply as Doc, he was a large animal veterinarian in Logan and Champaign counties for 36 years, the majority of those years spent as a solo practitioner. He also served as a consultant to Ohio Feedlots from 2002-2007.
Pete appreciated the family farm and spent his career supporting farmers and caring for their livestock. Educating and helping to mentor the next generation of food animal veterinarians was also important to Pete. He served as an adjust professor with the Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine and donated his practice to OSU Large Animal Services when he retired from private practice in 1999.
Pete was recognized for his contributions to his profession with The Ohio State University Veterinary Medicine Society Alumni Recognition Award in 2002 and the 2011 Cattleman of the Year Award by the Champaign County Cattleman’s Association.
In 2001, Pete traveled to the United Kingdom for a month during the Foot-and-Mouth disease outbreak in that country. He toured the countryside inspecting cattle herds for the devastating disease, fortunately never having to condemn a herd. He received the Group Honor Award for Excellence from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for his service.
Pete was involved in his community over the years. He was a former member and past president of the West Liberty Lions Club, served on the West Liberty-Salem Schools Board of Education for over a dozen years, and was a member of the West Liberty Business Association.
Pete’s church life was important to him. He was a member of the West Liberty United Methodist Church for over 50 years, where he also served as a trustee. He and Joyce then joined the Bellefontaine First United Methodist Church after they moved to Bellefontaine in 2015.
Pete was a prolific reader and patron of the Logan County Libraries, he enjoyed “high stakes” games with his golfing buddies at Liberty Hills, and playing cards and dominoes with friends and family.
Pete’s family are grateful for the strong, smart, stubborn, passionate, clever, and fun man he was. He was loved, and his family knew that he loved them.
Pastor Joe Ziraldo will lead a Celebration of Life Thursday, April 25, at 11:00 a.m. at Jennings Farley & Seeley Funeral Home and Crematory in West Liberty (5591 U.S. Highway 68 South, West Liberty, OH, 43357). Visitation will be held the day prior Wednesday, April 24, from 4 to-7 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Logan County Libraries (220 N. Main St., Bellefontaine, OH, 43311), The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine Class of 1961 Scholarship Fund (give.osu.edu/VetMed1961), or a charity of the donor’s choice.