PETER V. DARROW

DARROW--Peter V., of New York and Sag Harbor passed away peacefully on May 19, 2013 surrounded by family and close friends. He was 62. During a 35-year career as a corporate lawyer, Peter was a partner in two law firms - Mayer Brown and, most recently, DLA Piper. While based in New York, Peter traveled extensively to Mexico and Latin America, handling complex debt financing involving some of the largest companies in the region. Peter was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the son of Peter and Charlotte Noble Darrow. Peter was a graduate of Columbia College and earned a masters degree from Trinity College, Oxford. In 1978 he graduated from the University of Michigan Law School. Peter was President of the Columbia College chapter of Alpha Delta Phi fraternity, his beloved "AD", and through his leadership, the chapter's alumni group acquired the AD house from Columbia in the 1990's. Peter was especially proud of this achievement because he believed that it would put the Columbia Chapter of AD on sound financial footing for generations to come. Peter also maintained close ties with friends from Trinity College, Oxford and helped them expand the Cambodia Trust, a charity that maintains rural clinics in Cambodia that provide free artificial limbs to those maimed by land mines. At the time of his death, Peter was chairman of the board of the Cambodia Trust. Peter was also on the board of Everybody Wins, an organization dedicated to promoting children's literacy, and once a week for many years he read to elementary school children during lunchtime. After their mother died of cancer in 2001, Peter and his brother Duncan Darrow established Fighting Chance, a free of charge cancer resource center for residents on the East End of Long Island. Peter was passionate about rowing, and among his oldest friends are members of the Columbia lightweight rowing team that began rowing together in 1968. Thirty years later, Peter organized a team reunion to compete in the Head of the Charles Regatta in Cambridge, MA, a tradition they maintained for several years. Last year, thanks to the great generosity of friends, family and team members, Peter raised funds to purchase a state-of-the-art rowing shell for Columbia's women's crew team. He christened it the "Denise V. Seegal" in honor of his wife. Peter is survived by his beloved wife Denise and two children from a former marriage; a daughter, Meredith, of New York and Los Angeles and a son, Peter, a student in Boston. He is also survived by his devoted brother Duncan and Duncan's wife Wendy. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations be made to: Fighting Chance - Free Cancer Counseling Center, Box 1358, Sag Harbor, NY 11963. A memorial service is scheduled for May 29, 2013 at All Souls Unitarian Church, 1157 Lexington Avenue (at 80th street) at 4:00pm.