As one of the original members from 1999, Peter and his husband Phillip have been extremely generous giving time, energy, and financial support to the chorus since its humble beginnings as The Oakland-East Bay Gay Men’s Chorus.

Peter brought light into the world both literally and figuratively. Whenever he entered a room he would light it up with his vivacious personality. It was wonderful how he would circulate among chorus members to get to know us better and share our stories. He was also a professional Lighting Designer with Dempsey Newport Group for 27 years, designing residential and landscape lighting for new home construction and household remodeling. Whenever we entered a new performance venue you could see him carefully scrutinizing the lighting design and later making excellent suggestions about how to improve it.

The chorus has spent enjoyable evenings at his and Phillip’s beautiful home where they hosted many a wrap party. Their holiday decorations were always spectacular.

Peter was an avid singer. It’s possible that he never missed a concert performance. He worked very hard to memorize his music and the joy he expressed at rehearsals and performances was palpable. Peter was very involved in the chorus leadership, serving on the board as President and Vice President and a member at large. He so often had great ideas and suggestions. He chaired and served on many committees, using his boundless energy to raise funds, develop strategies, and help implement our plans. 

To quote Peter from tenor 1 June Kamerling’s recent interview of him, "The chorus is a place where singers come to sing, where identity is not questioned. Though OGMC is originally and primarily a gay men’s chorus, every gender and identity is included. Everyone is seen for who they are and not what they are. We take labels off. Each is an individual. We have come together to sing. We are a family."

His leadership and guidance will be deeply missed and we wish Phillip strength during this difficult time.