Robert “Pete” Eugene Dalton Jr., 78, of Rochester Hills and a longtime Romeo resident, died Thursday Oct. 3, 2024 at his home in Rochester Hills. He was born Dec. 28, 1945, in Jackson, Michigan, the son of Robert Eugene Sr. and Roberta (Boland) Dalton. On Aug. 31, 1968 he married Sandra Joy Gyurkovitz in Jackson.
Pete graduated from East Jackson High School in Jackson, Michigan. In 1964, he began attending Michigan State University. After graduating from Michigan State University, he took a teaching and coaching job at Romeo High School in September of 1969. In January of 1971 he was drafted into the Army and served for two years in Washington DC. After the Army, he returned to Romeo and continued to teach and coach at Powell Junior High School. In the mid to late 1980s, Pete went into private business. After that, he started a building trade program at Armada High School, and built three houses with his students. He also started a building trade program at LaBelle High School in LaBelle, Fla., and taught and coached there for 10 years. Pete enjoyed playing, coaching, and watching basketball. During his career, he coached girls and boys basketball at Romeo, Armada, Oxford and LaBelle High schools for more than 30 years.
He is survived by his wife, Sandy of Romeo; sons, Andrew (Rachel) Dalton of Goodrich and Matthew Dalton of Rochester; sisters, Linda (Jim) Roberts Miller and Risa (Robert) Laderos of Michigan; and grandchildren Matthew and Michael, Freya and Bryson.
Visitation is scheduled for 1-3 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 12 with memorial service to follow at the Henry M. Malburg Funeral Home, Romeo.
