Peter Alton Zorn

1940 - 2017

ZORN, PETER ALTON It is with a heavy heart that we announce the death of Peter A. Zorn, age 76, on Jan. 1, 2017 of a massive heart attack. Death was brutally sudden but mercifully swift. One minute, he was trying to decide whether or not to go to a New Year's Day party, and the next minute, he was gone. Peter was one tough cowboy. He died with his boots on. He beat cancer. At the time of his death, Peter had been cancer-free for two years. Peter was born on May 8, 1940 in Sandusky, Ohio. He received his BFA from Cleveland Institute of Art, and MFA from the University of Miami, where he was invited to join the faculty. Peter had three careers, and numerous productive avocations. In 1965, Peter was hired as an industrial designer by the Pittsburgh firm of Muller-Munk Associates, whose clients included Westinghouse, Waring and US Steel. In 2015, the Carnegie Museum of Art presented a retrospective of pioneering Muller-Munk designs, with the original designers, including Peter, honored by the museum at the opening ceremonies. On display was Peter's groundbreaking environmental graphic design for Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Stadium, including a photograph of a much younger Peter. Peter later joined the industrial design firm of Stewart-Macdonald Co, in Athens, Ohio, producing graphic and product design for US Dept. of Commerce, US Dept. of Agriculture, Grumman Aviation, and American Packaging Corp., among others. After attaining his master's degree from the University of Miami, Peter stayed on to become a professor of art and graphic design. He retired from the university in 1993 as a tenured full professor. Peter then joined the Coral Gables design firm of Tom Graboski Associates as senior graphic designer. Peter was still employed by TGA full-time at the time of his death, producing environmental graphic design for botanical gardens, theme parks, and more than twenty Royal Caribbean cruise ships. While at University of Miami, Peter joined forces with Dr. Stephen Bowles, a professor in the film department, to write a series of award winning screenplays. Their screenplay "Florida City" (released as "Small Time Conspiracy") was produced by Nancy Hector and Paul Lazarus ("Westworld") and starred Jeannetta Arnette ("Boys Don't Cry"), Zen Gesner, and William Morgan Sheppard. With Nat Chediak, Steve Bowles and Peter Zorn founded the Miami International Film Festival. Peter was selected as official poster artist for the first festival (1984), and also the tenth, one of the few artists to ever have his work selected twice. Peter's iconic image for the first Miami Film Festival poster a director's chair in the sand is displayed in movie theaters and private collections across the country. Other exhibitions of his art and design include: Lowe Art Museum, Coral Gables; Hortt Memorial Exhibition, Palm Beach; Viktor Schreckengost Legacy Exhibition, Attleboro Arts Museum, Attleboro, Mass.; and the PMMA Retrospective Exhibit at Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh. Peter again teamed with Dr. Bowles and Professor Ron Mangravite to write "The Screenwriter's Manual: A Complete Reference of Format & Style" (Pearson), the standard textbook used in screenwriting courses nationwide. Peter leaves behind his loving wife and best friend, Kathleen Smith Zorn, daughter Jennifer, grandchildren RJ & Damien, loyal dog Lucchese, hundreds of grateful students, fans of his books and screenplays, and his beloved 1946 MG-TC. A Memorial Service and Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, March 10, at 3:00 PM at the Coral Gables Congregational Church, 3010 De Soto Boulevard, with reception in the Fellowship Hall to follow. In lieu of flowers, please call someone you love, take them out, tell them how much they mean to you, and drink a toast to Peter.