Peter Alexander Michel

Peter, a long-time resident of Palo Alto, California, and a proud Geordie native of Newcastle, England, died September 9, 2023, four days before his 75th birthday. He died of sudden cardiac arrest despite the heroic efforts of the care team at Stanford University Hospital. Known to colleagues during his 40 + year career in high technology as reliable and personable with unsurpassed tact and consideration for others, Peter's lifelong passions were family, particularly his wife of 38 years Lori (nee Loretta Herman), and the Newcastle United Football Club. Peter emigrated from the UK to California in 1967 along with his parents, Peter Sr., (deceased in 2000), and Ann Michel (Nee Knox deceased in 1976), and older brother George (deceased in 2001). He earned two degrees from San Jose State University, one in sociology and one in accounting. He began his career at IBM as a Finance Analyst. He moved over the years to Silicon Graphics, Ariba, and to Sun Microsystems and then became Director of Trade Compliance at Symantec until he retired in 2016. His work took him on travels around the world where his cultural sensitivity and personal charm achieved success in challenging situations. In retirement he volunteered at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation and with Lori at the Humane Society Silicon Valley Animal Shelter. He was an animal lover with a particular fancy for cats, but also enjoyed taking the neighbors' dogs for walks, often stopping for a treat for the pups (and for himself). Peter and Lori were regular volunteers at the animal shelter and Peter always had a funny story to tell about the misadventures of their walks. Peter loved to travel, be it for work or pleasure, and was particularly enamored with the food and culture of Italy. He returned "home" to Newcastle to visit family and lifelong school friends whenever he could. He and Lori visited his relatives in New Zealand and Canada and maintained close internet contact with friends and relatives as well. Peter took a keen interest in politics on a local, state, national, and international level. He became a US citizen in 2015 and was proud to be able to vote for the first time in the 2016 presidential election, a topic on which he held strong views. A lover of British television shows (the quirkier the better), Peter was known to invite Lori to join him in watching, albeit with limited success. His devotion as a Newcastle United Football Club supporter remained unparalleled. He watched many matches live, even when it meant waking up in the wee hours of the morning. Peter was a loving and loved husband, brother, brother-in-law, uncle, and friend. He will be deeply missed by so many. Those who knew him are privileged. None of us have known a more considerate, thoughtful person. A Memorial Celebration of Peter's life will be scheduled for next Spring in the US. Please make any donations in his memory to The Humane Society Silicon Valley https://www.hssv.org/honor-and-memorial-gifts/
You can take the boy out of Newcastle, but….From Blaydon Races (the theme song for the Newcastle United Football Club): Chorus: "Ah me lads, ye shudda seen us gannin',We pass'd the foaks alang the road just as they wor stannin';Thor wis lots o' lads an' lassies there, aal wi' smiling faces, Gannin' alang the Scotswood Road, to see the Blaydon Races. When we gat the wheel put on away we went agyen, But them that had their noses broke they cam back ower hyem; Sum went to the Dispensary an' uthers to Doctor Gibbs's, An' sum sought out the Infirmary to mend their broken ribs's."(Back ower hyem means went back home. Gannin' means going) Howay the Lads.