Obituary of Peter Harry Westlake

Peter Harry Westlake, 66, of Occum Ridge Rd., Deansboro, died October 11, 2010 at St. Elizabeth Medical Center after a long struggle with cardiac issues. He was born November 25, 1943 under a bed during a bombing raid in England, the son of Kenneth and Muriel Westlake. The family moved to Windsor, Ontario in 1950 and to Piscataway, N.J. when he was 17. He married Catharine Johnston Morgan on August 25, 1973. He became an American citizen in 2004. He started his career as a framer for Swain's Gallery and had work hanging in the White House, was co-director of Westlake Gallery in White Plains, N.Y. He was manager of Michael's Tavern in Somers, N.Y. during the mid-80's and in 1989 moved to Clinton, where he formed Peter's Painting and Papering, doing small construction projects and interior design work. In 2008, he was named Facilities Manager for the Alexander Hamilton Institute for the Study of Western Civilization. He had a fabulous collection of Byer's Christmas figures for which he was building a permanent setting, loved puzzles and playing board games, was an expert pool player and bowler and savored times he spent with family and friends on Block Island. A longtime member of Lions Club, he raised record amounts of money for the Walk for Sight in Westchester and Clinton. He was passionately involved with the Alexander Hamilton Institute and all of its educational enterprises, where he and his wife were recently honored with the naming of a classroom. He is survived by his wife, sons Howard and Virginia Morgan and Christopher ("Kip") and Marie Morgan of Darien, Conn., six grandchildren Reed, Andrew, Catharine, Kylie, William and Penelope; also by two brothers David (Linda) and Paul Westlake of New Jersey and an aunt, Shirley, of Windsor, Ont. Calling hours will be 2-4 and 6-8pm on Thursday, October 14, 2010 and a service will be held at 10:30AM on Friday morning at Owens-Pavlot & Rogers Funeral Service, Inc. 35 College St., Clinton. Donations may be considered to the Alexander Hamilton Institute for the Study of Western Civilization, 21 West Park Row, Clinton, NY 13323.