Peter Charles Kremer

Peter Kremer, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, passed peacefully into the arms of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on September 28, 2025, at home in Newport Beach, California, with his daughters by his side.
Peter will be remembered for his upbeat spirit, magnetic personality, visionary leadership, and boundless energy. Peter always expressed genuine gratitude for life's simple joysa good meal, a sunset with a loved one, a walk with his dogand deep faith. He never took his many gifts for granted and was humble and thankful, until the end of his life.
Born March 8, 1940, in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, to Karl and Frances Kremer, Peter grew up in Oregon and attended Willamette University, where he met the love of his life, Bonnie Adele Scott. They married the day after their graduation and he went on to earn his MBA from Stanford University, where the newlyweds made many of their lifelong friends.
After Stanford, Peter began a distinguished career in the real estate industry, first at Newhall Land and Farming Company (1964-1976) and later as president of the Irvine Company (1977-1983). He was a true visionary in California real estate, first by master planning and building the city of Valencia and later by shepherding the Irvine Company as president during a critical period of rapid growth and development.
A lifelong entrepreneur, Peter, at the age of 42, launched The Kremer Company, working as an independent real estate developer and investor alongside trusted colleagues and friends. This new chapter allowed Peter to invest more time in his family and friends and give back to his community. One of his proudest moments was returning to the Stanford Graduate School of Business as a visiting professor, teaching real estate development theory and strategy from 1988-1998. He loved teaching the case method, mentoring young entrepreneurs, and sharing wisdom gained from his real-world experience. Many of his mentees and students stayed connected to him throughout his life.
Peter considered his education one of his greatest blessings, a gift provided by his parents. A few years into his career, he asked if he could reimburse them. They declined his offer but suggested he could pay it forward by providing education for his own children. Peter and Bonnie went much further than that. They paid for the education of their two daughters, their nine grandchildren and many other students through their donations to Willamette, Stanford and other educational institutions.
Peter's generosity extended far beyond education, as he and Bonnie supported churches, hospitals, and the arts, in both their Newport Beach and Ketchum, Idaho communities. Peter became passionate about bringing clean water to people in developing countries and spent several decades investing in World Vision's WASH initiatives. In Malawi and Honduras, the Kremer's donations to World Vision provided clean water to tens of thousands of residents. The Kremer Foundation, established by Peter and Bonnie, continues to provide much-needed resources and support for worthwhile causes across the globe.
Above all, Peter cherished time with his family and friends. Peter and Bonnie traveled widely and enjoyed years of hiking, skiing, and playing bridge. Peter was an extraordinary husband, father and grandfather. He was devoted to his family, proudly supporting and cheering for them in all of their endeavors. He instilled in his children and grandchildren a love of family, faith, learning, travel, and philanthropy. His family will greatly miss his positivity, enthusiasm, mentorship, and love.
Peter is survived by his daughters Leslie Seidner (David) and Audrey Monke (Steve), nine grandchildren (Madeleine Seidner, Veronica Van't Hof, Gretchen Ruch, Meredith Johns, Peter Seidner, Charlotte Alexander, John Monke, Ellie Seidner and Owen Monke), three great-grandchildren (Hazel Ruch, Caleb Johns and Maren Van't Hof), and his sister Kay Goff (Bob). He was preceded in death by his beloved, Bonnie, his best buddy of 59 years.
The family extends heartfelt thanks to Peter's devoted caregivers; Gino, Ryan, Bety, Jay Jay, and Darwin who preserved his dignity and gave him many small moments of joy in his final years.
A celebration of Peter's life will be held Sunday, November 16, 2025, at 11 a.m. at Big Canyon Country Club, Newport Beach, California. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to World Vision at: https://mycause.worldvision.org/campaigns/PeterKremer.