Peter Ernest Holmes of Southern Pines, NC, passed away peacefully in his home, surrounded by his loving wife and children, on June 21, 2024.
Peter was born on April 7, 1939, in Orrville, Ohio to Carl and Emilie Taylor Holmes. Following the death of his father when Peter was six months old, his mother raised Peter and his brothers, William and James. Emilie, an elementary school teacher and principle, was Peter’s greatest influence and guiding light in Peter becoming such a successful, caring, and compassionate man.
After graduating from Orville High School, Peter attended Northwestern University, where he served as President of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. In 1961, Peter graduated with degrees in both political science and international relations. He continued his education with graduate studies in international relations at the American University in Washington, D.C.
Peter began his 38-year career on Capitol Hill as a writer and editor for the weekly newsmagazine Congressional Quarterly. He then served as Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator Robert Griffin of Michigan and, later, as Administrative Assistant to the Republican U.S. Senate WHIP.
In 1969, Peter joined the Executive Branch and spent six years with the U.S. Office for Civil Rights at the then-Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW). He served as director of that federal agency from 1973-75, holding a leadership position in the final dismantling of the segregated dual elementary and secondary school systems in the 17 southern and border states. He also led development of the regulatory and enforcement program for the historic and newly enacted in 1972 Title IX program to eliminate sex discrimination in public education. For his work at HEW, Peter received special citations from then HEW Secretaries Eliot Richardson and Caspar Weinberger. In 1974, President Nixon named Peter as a U.S. representative to the United Nations Human Rights Conference held in Ohrid, Yugoslavia.
Upon leaving the Federal Government, Peter served as a Washington Representative for the General Electric Company working in its Corporate Government Relations operation. In that capacity, he received a citation for distinguished service from then-CEO Jack Welch. Following his time at GE, Peter worked with a law firm in DC, becoming Executive Director of the Puerto Rico-USA Foundation, a coalition of financial, pharmaceutical, electronic and manufacturing companies operating in Puerto Rico. He represented that group on the mainland and in Puerto Rico for 20-plus years.
Peter retired to the Pinehurst/Southern Pines area with his beloved wife, Anne, in 1998. Gregarious and fun-loving, Peter and Anne especially enjoyed time entertaining friends and family, particularly their grandchildren.
For many years after their move to The Sandhills, Peter continued to consult with clients in Washington and Puerto Rico. He also served locally as a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity of Moore County, as a board member and fundraiser for Pinehurst's Givens Memorial Library and Tufts Archives, as President of the Middleton Place Homeowners Assn., and as a member of the Board of the Ruth Pauley Lecture Series, as well as holding a seminar at the Sandhills Community College. Peter was an avid golfer and member of Pinehurst Country Club and the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md. At Pinehurst CC, he served on the Board of the Tin Whistles organization. He and his wife attended Pinehurst's Village Chapel and Southern Pines' Emmanuel Episcopal Church.
Peter was preceded in death by his father, Carl; his mother, Emilie; and his two brothers, William and James. He is survived by his beloved wife of 43 years, Anne; his three sons, James (Shannon) of Santa Cruz, CA; Robert of Dorado, Puerto Rico; and Michael (Erica) of Davidsonville, MD; his four step-children, Lammot (Kellen) of Baltimore, MD; Ridgely (Tom) of Arlington, VA; Bill (Martina) of New Windsor, MD; and Stuart of Milton, DE; and his 13 grandchildren, Re-Pete and Willy Holmes of Santa Cruz, CA; Ryan and Kaelyn Holmes of Dorado, PR; Ben, Sam and Ady Holmes of Davidsonville, MD; Jackson and Reesey duPont of Alexandria, VA; Teagan Sweeney of Baltimore, MD; and Emily, Charlie, and Abby Benjamin of Arlington, VA.
Peter will be remembered as the dapper, charming, inquisitive constant in all of our lives; always willing to listen and go out of his way to help all those around him. Not only for his family and friends, but anyone he met along the way in the great adventure that was his life. We love and miss you, and you will forever be in our hearts.
Services will be held at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Southern Pines, NC on July 19th at 11:00am. In lieu of flowers, Peter wanted loved ones to donate to The Tin Whistle Scholarship Foundation https://thetinwhistles.org/twsf .
Service arrangements are entrusted to Boles Funeral Home.
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