From football star to war veteran, Peter Sinclair was "larger than life," his family said.

The former football stand-out at South Pasadena High School served in both the Gulf War and the Iraq War, including battle duty in one of the war's most brutal operations - the battle for Fallujah.

"Pete was just bigger than life," said his sister Jennifer Sinclair said.

A longtime South Pasadena resident, the 40-year-old U.S. Army captain and Los Angeles police officer died at his Garden Grove home on June 12 of organ failure, his family said Wednesday.

Sinclair was still studying at Cal State Los Angeles when he decided to enlist in the Army. He wanted to add structure and discipline to his life, his sister said.

After serving in the Gulf War, Sinclair returned home and became an officer with the Los Angeles Police Department. He kept up his studies, however, enrolling in a master's program at Cal State Long Beach. But he also enlisted in the Army Reserves.

Longtime friend Adam Schiffer said Sinclair was a driven person all his life.

"In high school, he was a good athlete and one of the captains on our football team," he said. "We both planned on joining the police department one day."

The two moved to Huntington Beach, where they spent time surfing. Schiffer said Sinclair had a personality that could draw in almost anybody.

"He was very intense - very intelligent," Schiffer said. "The guy would meet people while on a trip, and the next thing you know, he would be taking another trip to visit them."

While finishing up his studies at Long Beach, Sinclair was asked by Army officials if he would return to active duty.

"We told him that maybe he should sit this one out, but he said, 'They need me,"' Jennifer Sinclair said.

At the beginning of 2004, Sinclair was deployed to Fallujah, where he commanded an ordinance unit. While there, he was injured several times in battle, she said. He had several vertebrae fused together and suffered nerve damage, along with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. But despite his injuries, and even when doctors told him he could return home, he stayed on active duty.

"I've never seen someone tougher who could take more pain," his sister said.

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Pasadena, who knew Sinclair and his family, said his death was truly a loss for the country.

"It's hard to find a greater commitment to country and a more selfless dedication than Peter had," Schiff said. "I've had a chance to meet so many people in the service of the country, and they are the absolute best the country has to offer."

Peter Sinclair is survived by his parents, John and Barbara Sinclair; his sisters Christine Sinclair Limon, Dana Sinclair, and Jennifer Sinclair; and his brothers Steven and John.

Pasadena Star-News, June 19, 2008