Dr. Peter Alexander Kelley of Houston, Tex., and Edgartown, died suddenly in his home in Houston on Jan. 23. He was 56.

He was born in Grand Junction, Colo., and lived in Pittsburgh, Pa., where he graduated from Upper St. Clair high school. He graduated from Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio, with his bachelor’s degree and went on to the University of West Virginia in Morgantown, W.V., where he completed a double major in both geology and chemistry and received his master’s degree and PhD. He then went on to work for Texaco Inc. in Houston.

He was the son of the late Dr. Dana Robineau Kelley and Lois Alexander Kelley Stout of Edgartown and Pittsburgh, Pa.

Dr. Kelley spent time every summer on the Vineyard, and he and his wife Sandy and the young people in his life were proud to have hiked every marked path on the Island and biked the Island from end to end. They even walked out to the Cape Pogue Lighthouse and back from the Dike Bridge — a far greater effort than they expected!

He was involved with soccer teams in Houston, especially when Julie and Tom were active in the sport. He also tutored math in the school where Sandy still teaches, and one year was awarded the volunteer teacher of the year award.

Peter is survived by his wife of 35 years, Sandra Grose Kelley; his daughter, Julie Robineau Kelley Montealegre and her husband, Federico Montealegre; his grandson, Federico Sebastian Montealegre, born Feb. 7, 2010, of San Jose, Costa Rica; his son, Capt. Thomas Alexander Kelley and his wife, Jaime, and her two daughters, of Fort Polk, La., and Salt Lake City, Utah. He is also survived by his brother, Dr. Christopher Dana Kelley and his wife, Pamela Wine Kelley of Kaneohe, Hawaii; his father in law, Dr. Herschel Grose of Ohio; three brothers in law, Stephen, David, and Gregory and their wives; two sisters in law, Suzanne and Bonnie, and several nieces and nephews. Peter was the grandnephew of the late artist, Lisa Robineau Lineaweaver of Edgartown and New York city. He is also survived by his mother’s companion of many years, Ed Amaral of Oak Bluffs.

He will be missed.