Peter Andrew Arntson

Born May 23, 1938, in Washington, D.C., Peter grew up in Arlington and graduated from Wakefield High School in 1956. He earned a B.A. in History from the University of Virginia in 1960, and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1965. He later received an LL.M. in Taxation from Georgetown University Law Center in 1971.

Peter practiced law for more than five decades. He began his career in Arlington with Philips, Kendrick, Gearhardt & Aylor in 1965, becoming a partner in 1970. In 1975, he joined McCandlish Lillard in Fairfax as a partner, where he later served as Senior Counsel before retiring in 2020. A respected trusts and estates and tax attorney, Peter’s practice also included forming and advising partnerships, corporations, limited liability companies, closely held businesses, private foundations, and public charitable organizations. He served as chairman of the Virginia State Bar Tax Section, lectured extensively at continuing legal education programs, and published articles on taxation and related legal matters. He was also named a Fellow of the Virginia Law Foundation and former Deputy Commissioner of Accounts for Fairfax County.

Peter devoted substantial time to civic and charitable service. He served for many years as a trustee of the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation and, in recent years, as Trustee Emeritus. He also served as a Director and Trustee of the Benedictine School for Exceptional Children and its Foundation. A proud Wakefield graduate, he founded the Wakefield High School Education Foundation and served for many years as its President before later serving as President Emeritus, helping build a scholarship program for generations of Wakefield students. He also served as an initial trustee of the Arlington Community Foundation, a trustee of the Northern Virginia Community Foundation, and a member of the Northern Virginia Chapter of the American Heart Association.

Peter was an Eagle Scout and maintained a lifelong commitment to Scouting, serving on the Executive Board and, more recently, the Advisory Board of the National Capital Area Council, Boy Scouts of America, and receiving the Council's Silver Beaver Award. After participating in ROTC at the University of Virginia, he entered active duty with the U.S. Army. While stationed in France, he met his wife Colette, whom he married there in 1962. He continued his military service in the Army Reserve, retiring as a Colonel, and was a graduate of the U.S. Army War College.

Peter was deeply devoted to Colette and their son, Eric. Peter and Colette shared a love of travel, visiting family and friends throughout the United States and especially enjoying time in France, Colette’s native country, and Norway, the ancestral home of the Arntson family. Eric was the joy of Peter’s life, and father and son especially enjoyed hiking, kayaking, and other activities together.

Peter was preceded in death by his wife, Colette O. Arntson, and his parents, Mary G. and Paul L. Arntson. He is survived by his son, Eric P. Arntson; his brother, Stephen G. Arntson, and his wife, Patricia; and a large extended family.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Thursday, September 3, at 11:00 a.m. at Our Lady Queen of Peace in Arlington, with a gathering afterward at Murphy Funeral Home in Arlington. Interment will take place at a later date at Arlington National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to L’Arche Greater Washington, D.C.