Obituary of Brian Peace

James Brian Peace died on Saturday, September 5th after 88 years of wonderful life. He joins his loving wife of 63 years, Ann. They died exactly three weeks apart. Brian was born in Stoke Newington, UK on April 14, 1932. He was the only child of James William Gillet Peace, a manager of a manufacturing company, and Ruby Alma Peace, a homemaker. Brian’s childhood took place during World War II. In 1940, he was evacuated from the London area during the Blitz bombing campaign in an effort to keep children safe. He returned home to his family once the attacks had ended, and rarely spoke of the events of those years. In school, Brian was a top student in the sciences. He had a knack for mechanics and was a volunteer pit-engineer for car racing teams. His true interests were in chemistry, which he ultimately pursued at university. He completed a PhD through the University of London in 1956. The following year, Brian married Ann Addiscott. The two met at a tea and coffee hour through their shared work. They had two sons together, Graham and Robert. Brian worked for Acheson Industries for the majority of his professional life. He started as a research chemist and rose to company vice president. His work took him around the world, living back and forth between England, the United States and Canada. He often traveled to Japan, South Korea, Australia and various parts of South America for business. In retirement, Brian and Ann moved to western New York. There, he nurtured longstanding hobbies—building motorized model airplanes at a workbench in his home, keeping up with the English cricket team and Formula 1 races, and reading through stacks of science magazines. He also volunteered as a tutor for disadvantaged students in the area, making voice notes from the sessions on a tape recorder that his students took home for practice. Brian was an avid notetaker and letter-writer. He kept a paper record of everything from detailed accounts of doctor’s visits, to birthday cards, to notable reviews he’d read in Consumer Reports. He shared updates with friends and family via postcard and email. He was the first person to warn you of potential trouble with an electronic device, car or travel itinerary; he was the first person to offer a solution. Brian was curious by nature and had a special way of making the person he was talking to feel as though they were the most interesting person in the world. His interest was genuine and so was he. Although Brian excelled at many things, by far the greatest role he played was a loyal and supportive companion to Ann. The two were partners in travel and adventure, but equally in facing the challenges of old age. When Ann became ill and suffered a stroke in 2012, Brian was there by her side each and every step of the way to recovery. He was steadfast in his commitment and unwavering in his optimism; never complaining, always smiling, quick to think of solutions and quicker to make a good cup of tea. Brian is survived by his loving children, Graham (wife, Liz) Peace and Robert Peace, and his grandchildren Lauren and Douglas Peace. In lieu of flowers, please drink a sherry or have a slice of cake to celebrate a life well-lived. You can make a donation in Brian’s honor to the Rochester Education Foundation at: https://www.rochestereducation.org/donate