Peter Warlick

Peter Maynard Warlick, the loving father, husband and friend to so many, passed away peacefully June 18, with his family gathered around him, after a long, courageous battle with ALS. Peter was 60.

Born in Chester, N.J., on Oct. 6, 1964, to the late R. Patterson "Pat" Warlick and Margaret Anne Buchanan Warlick, Peter grew up hearing countless tales of his father's career in finance and his research of Boeing and its 747, as well as his mother's tales of growing up in Japan. This helped fuel his passion for travel and the aviation industry.

After earning a BA in political science from Denison University-including an internship in the Reagan White House-he joined Solomon Brothers in high-yield research, becoming one of its youngest vice presidents. His interest in finance and aviation led him to join American Airlines in 1994 after earning an MBA from Duke's Fuqua School of Business.

For the next three decades Peter held numerous leadership positions, thriving in finance and mergers and acquisitions before becoming the company's treasurer. He oversaw corporate restructurings, drove the financing of American Airlines' current aircraft fleet, and led the integration of more than 1,500 aircraft during the US Airways-American merger.

A tireless, tenacious and respected executive who expected a lot from others but never more than he expected of himself, Peter also was known for bringing people together. He established deep relationships across the industry and was a mentor to many, which made setting a good example very important; he even gave back by lecturing at Fuqua to bring real-world expertise to future business leaders.

He was a connector who loved building and maintaining strong friendships across his life, but the most important thing to Peter was his family. It was at American where he met the love of his life, Sally Flynn, whom he would marry in 2001. Sally and Peter were blessed with two children, Caroline and Charlie. The family enjoyed traveling the world, spending summers at the family's house on Ocracoke Island, N.C., and the fierce competition of family game night. They enjoyed skiing, SCUBA diving, hiking, and just enjoying life and being together.

Peter deeply loved Sally and their kids, and his love of Duke basketball and passion for Dave Matthews Band both became family affairs. They watched countless games and attended many concerts across the country. He and Caroline enjoyed tracking the DMB playlist from ongoing concerts and guessing what selections would be played at the concert(s) they would attend.

In 2015, when a doctor diagnosed Peter with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and told him to get his affairs in order given his limited time left, Peter's stubborn tenacity and his passion for helping others kicked in instead.

For the next 10 years, Peter dedicated himself to raising awareness of ALS and driving research aimed at preventing ALS from impacting future families. With Sally as his stalwart champion throughout his battle with ALS, he created Aviators Against ALS and, with unwavering support from American and the entire aviation community, raised more than $6 million for Answer ALS ( https://www.answerals.org/ ). He was a leader in Answer ALS, which is dedicated to research to find a cure for the disease, and he was personally determined to advance collaborative efforts and cutting-edge research to benefit those diagnosed with ALS in the future.

Peter had a zest for life, which never faltered, even after his diagnosis. He embraced all life had to offer and, despite fighting an encroaching disease, he never stopped pushing forward, strengthening the bonds of friendship, sharing his mischievous trait with others and continuing his impactful contributions to various organizations.

Peter is survived by his wife of 23 years, Sally Warlick, his daughter Caroline and son Charlie. He is also survived by his sister Elizabeth "Lisa" Warlick McBride and brother-in-law Daniel McBride of Doylestown, PA, nieces Lindsey and Morgan, and countless friends across the world who love and admire him.

The family would like to thank Peter's tremendous network of friends and colleagues, who brought him so much joy, as well as the caregivers for their loving care and support.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Answer ALS. (https://www.answerals.org/). A celebration of life will be held in October in Dallas.