World Champion Duck Caller. Outdoorsman. Entrepreneur. Friend to everyone he met.

Thomas “Pete” Clagett, 81, of Anamosa, passed away peacefully at home on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, surrounded by family and friends.

Pete was born September 12, 1944, in St. Joseph, Missouri, the son of John and Lalla (Varner) Clagett. He graduated from Southwest High School in Kansas City with the Class of 1962 and later earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from the University of Mississippi in 1971.

Pete lived a life defined by adventure, entrepreneurship, friendship, and an enduring love of the outdoors. He had an unmistakable ability to turn the things he loved into a life well lived.

Pete met Donna Lou Seely on an international blind date, and he knew he had found the “love of his life” after she gutted his moose. The two were married on December 17, 1994, at the United Congregational Church in Anamosa, and they shared 30 wonderful years together until Donna’s passing in November 2024.

Their love - and the adventures they shared along the way - were among the greatest joys of Pete’s life. From road trips across the country to all the places and experiences they discovered together, they knew how to have fun and make a memory out of just about anything.

If you have half as much fun in life as Pete and Donna did together, you’re doing alright.

Throughout his career, Pete owned and operated numerous restaurants and catering companies and managed properties throughout the Midwest. But perhaps his favorite chapter came when he owned and operated Tall Pines Camp for 15 years. There, his love of the outdoors, hunting, fishing, boating, and entertaining others came together in a place where countless friendships and memories were made.

Pete’s talent as a duck caller earned him a place in waterfowling history. At just 17 years old he won the 1961 World Duck Calling Champion, as well as the 1961 Missouri Open Duck Calling Champion and Missouri Open Goose Calling Champion. He went on to win numerous additional Missouri and regional duck and goose calling championships throughout the 1960s and 1970s. It was a historic run and on November 17, 2012, Pete was inducted into the Waterfowlers Hall of Fame in Mound City, Missouri - a fitting recognition of a passion that had been such an important part of his life.

Pete was also a devoted supporter of Ducks Unlimited, serving with the Jones County DU committee and giving generously of his time and resources to a cause he deeply believed in. He was honored with both the Silver Teal and Gold Teal awards for his longtime philanthropic support. He especially enjoyed the friendships and camaraderie that came with his work with Ducks Unlimited.

Pete believed in giving his time to others. During Hurricane Hugo in 1989, he volunteered with the Red Cross Hurricane Relief effort. He taught sailing lessons to youth, served as a member of the Snow Creek Ski Patrol in Weston, Missouri, and mentored young hunters, sharing with them not only his knowledge of the outdoors, but also his enthusiasm for life.

Those who knew Pete will remember far more than his accomplishments. They will remember his generosity, his stories, his humor, his adventurous spirit, and his ability to make people feel welcome. He had a gift for bringing people together and for making ordinary moments memorable. He believed that life was meant to be enjoyed - and he did just that.

Pete is survived by his children, Sarah Clagett Johnson (Walt) and John Robertson Clagett II; his stepchildren, Matt Kenney (April) and Brian Kenney (Marci); his grandchildren, Henry and Wyatt Johnson, along with his step-grandchildren; his sister, Laura Clagett Vogt; and many extended family members and dear friends.

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Donna Lou; and his parents, John and Lalla Clagett.

Pete leaves behind a remarkable legacy - not simply in the championships he won or the places he built, but in the people he loved, the friendships he treasured, and the countless lives he touched along the way. Perhaps his greatest legacy was the example he gave his children: that if you love what you do, it never feels like work. Pete lived those words. He pursued the things that brought him joy and shared them generously with others.

A Memorial service will be held 11:00 Saturday morning, August 22, 2026 at the Goettsch Funeral Home, Anamosa, Iowa with interment in the Hazel Knole Cemetery at a later date. Visitation will be held from 4 until 7 Friday at the Goettsch Funeral Home, Anamosa.