PETER FRELINGHUYSEN

FRELINGHUYSEN--Peter,

a devotee of chamber music, a steward of medical institutions, an attorney, and an avid gardener, died on March 11, 2018, at his home in New York at the age of 76. Peter was born in New York City on August 24, 1941. His father was Representative Peter H.B. Frelinghuysen, who served in Congress from 1953 to 1974, and his mother was Beatrice S. Procter. He grew up in Morristown, NJ, and Washington, DC, and attended the Peck, St. Albans, and St. Mark's schools. He graduated from Princeton University and Yale Law School and served in the U.S. Army Reserve. He practiced law first with Sullivan & Cromwell and then as a partner at Morris & McVeigh. For more than a decade, Peter served as Chairman of the Board of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and was a director of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. His passion for music traces to a childhood spent listening to musicians rehearse and perform at Tanglewood. He was integral to the redevelopment of the Lincoln Center campus, including the renovation of Alice Tully Hall. Peter's affinity for chamber music and his admiration for the musicians and their art inspired his leadership. The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary flourished during Peter's tenure. As Chairman of the Board, he oversaw the successful expansion of its operating rooms and teaching facility. He received the Infirmary's United Hospital Fund's Distinguished Trustee Award twice, the Margaret Loeb Kempner Humanitarian Award, and an honorary degree from New York Medical College. Peter was a past trustee of the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, the Buckley School, the Spoleto Festival USA, and the New York Horticultural Society. At his death, he was a trustee of the Achelis and Bodman Foundation. A botanical man, Peter planted gardens wherever he went. He coaxed life from the Beaverkill Valley soil, which he described as "two stones for every dirt." He will be remembered in his shirt- sleeves, up to his elbows in dirt, a twinkle in his eye, and a cigarette at his lips. On Sunday evenings, he cruised around town delivering vegetables to friends and family. Peter is survived by his wife of 54 years, Barrett Brady Frelinghuysen; his children, Peter (Lisa Beattie), Bess (George Ratliff), Cyrus (Leah Yoon), and Anson (Emma Fuerst); his ten grandchildren, Electra, Peter, Diana, Linden, Blix, Ozzy, Teddy, Jasper, Harley, and Edie; four siblings, Beatrice van Roijen, Rodney Frelinghuysen, Adaline Frelinghuysen, and Frederick Frelinghuysen; and a loving extended family. A celebration of Peter's life will be held on April 4, 2018, at 10am at the Church of the Heavenly Rest in New York. Donations in lieu of flowers can be made in Peter's honor to the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Peter was devoted to his family, and he expressed his love with a delightful humor. Possessed of a gift for setting people at ease, Peter used his unique charm to welcome strangers and friends alike. He will be dearly missed.