The Men Who Went Before Us: Obituaries
The Association is enormously grateful to Barrie Johnson, who spends at least half an hour every morning of the week, scouring through the nation’s newspapers, so the Old Boys who went before us (in the words of the School Song) can be remembered.
Below is an Obituary for Peter West England, 1958-62, Altiora Peto Award recipient in 2010.
Peter West England (May 9 1944 - November 17 2021)
Peter was a true New Zealander, accent and all – born in Christchurch, New Zealand to Joy and West England. He was raised above a storefront and on a sheep farm in Amberley, North Canterbury with his siblings Robin, Barbara and Susan and his best friend Tom Retallick. He proudly attended Christchurch Boys’ High (Altiora Peto Award winner in 2010), Canterbury University and Victoria University. After meeting his beautiful wife Carol in 1967 in Wellington they got engaged a few weeks later. Peter and Carol married in 1968. After crossing the Tasman Sea to Sydney, Australia, Peter and Carol were blessed with three remarkable children Karin, Sara, and Thomas.
Peter lived between the dashes of life – what matters most is how we live the dash between our birth and our death, and he did that with abundance. He was a born storyteller, a charismatic leader, a competitive rugby player, a hockey watching and always available grandfather, a supportive listener and the kind of person that we all dream to be one day. He was always present and the first person to drop anything to help his grandchildren, children, wife and friends. His friends came from all over the world – New Zealand, Borneo, Australia, Canada, France, the United Kingdom, South Africa and the United States.
Peter rose through his 33 years at Unilever to become CEO and President of Elizabeth Arden in New York City. After briefly retiring in Sydney, he proudly took over the helm of the Chicago Children’s Museum in 2001 championing all of Chicago’s children. When interviewed for the Museum, Peter shared with the Board that he “didn’t do kids or museums” but found that he loved both deeply. Peter always had time for everyone in his life and delighted in his ability to mentor people.
No one mattered more to Peter than his family and in return they thought the world of him – his beloved wife Carol; daughters Karin (Nick) and Sara (Todd); and son Thomas (Alexa). His greatest pride were his grandchildren who called him Peter – Gemma, Cameron, Oliver, Poppy, Gage and Pierce. He taught his children and grandchildren to be kind and generous people, to question everything in life whatever it might be. He even taught us all to fight for what is right in life even if that meant dramatically changing your political views. Peter was an exceptionally generous person in all aspects of his life, anonymously helping others with everything from utility bills to paying for college educations.
Peter leaves behind heartbroken grandchildren, family and friends throughout the world. More than anything, Peter would encourage all of us to focus on the dash of our lives and to really get the most out of every single day and having those days blend together into a remarkable life. Please raise a glass of your best red wine in celebration of the Extraordinary Peter England.
Please consider contributions on Peter’s behalf to either supporting communities and conservation in Africa with Africa Foundation or Rush University Medical Center’s Lung Cancer Research Fund.
https://africafoundation.org/donations/england/
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