Peter A. Benoliel ’53, long-time member of the Advisory Council for the Department of Astrophysical Sciences, passed away on Monday, February 17th at the age of 93, at his home outside Philadelphia.  A native of Philadelphia, Peter graduated in 1953 from Princeton University with a degree in Philosophy and a minor in Chemistry.  Following his graduation from Princeton, he served in the Navy and then joined his family’s business, Quaker Chemical, which he grew significantly as President and CEO.  Outside of work, Peter’s interests were expansive, including music, literature, philosophy, Japanese history and art, and of course, astrophysics.

Peter’s community service work and philanthropic efforts reflected his personal passions.  An enthusiastic amateur violinist himself, Peter served as Chair or member of the board of many musical and other organizations, including the Free Library of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Settlement Music School, The Curtis Institute of Music, United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania and more.

Michael Strauss, Chair of the Department of Astrophysical Sciences says that “he was a tremendous friend of our department, and one of the most regular attendees of our biannual meetings.  I deeply valued his insights in various aspects of the life of the department, from interactions with the university administration to guidance on our various international collaborations.”

Peter is survived by his wife, Willo Carey, five children, four stepchildren, and twenty grandchildren.

We are enormously grateful for the many years over which Peter shared his wisdom and interest in our department, and we extend our condolences to Peter’s family.