Peter became a friend through work - I was a customer.  We traveled to Hong Kong, Singapore, and China.  Wonderful memory of sitting in McDonalds in Hong Kong drinking coffee one morning.  We were in the middle of an acquisition covering many countries and companies.  When it came to figuring stuff out, nothing was better than Peter's level headed, straight forward assessment of what was going on.  This certainly applied to life as well.  Wonderful guy.  I'll miss him.

This news has been hard for me to digest.  I worked with Peter for over 10 years and the first 5 years on his team as his assistant.  My desk faced the opening of his office door, so naturally we would see each other many times throughout the day and chat about work, family, life and what was good on TV.  

Peter was a hilarious, brilliant, kind, caring friend.  We both watched a TV show since it began over 10 years ago.  It aired on Sunday evenings and we would seek each other out on Monday mornings to hash out what was going to happen next, who we liked and who we didn't.  Even after I left the firm a few years ago,  we still emailed regularly to discuss the show while it was on.  He was my buddy. 

I remember when I first started working with him, I had only been there a few months.  He would ask me set up reservations at different restaurants for client lunches.  He had sent one email to set up reservations and I thought I was forwarding the link of the restaurant to my husband, but I had mistakenly replied to Peter saying "This place looks great, we should  go here sometime for happy hour."  Peter walked out of his office with a weird look on his face and said " I don't typically do this, my wife's brother is one of the well known family law attorney's in town." With a smile on his face.  I was mortified and embarrassed.  I apologized profusely and he was so gracious about it, though he gave me a hard time about it. From there we were friends.  I was one of the few people not intimidated by him and could give him a hard time.

Peter also loved Halloween, probably as much as I did.  I remember planning the theme and decorations at the office.  Funny, the only pictures I have of Peter is in costume. I am gonna miss my friend.

I send my most sincere and deepest condolences to his wife Dana and children Kelsey and Zach.  My thoughts go out to the Perkins family and those that knew Peter.  It won't be the same without him.  He will be greatly missed.

Peter was a true friend, which is rare indeed. We met at work, where I initially found him intimidating, but he was quick to offer kindness, respect, and humor that put me at ease. Within a year, we became neighbors and family friends. 

Peter and I had enough in common that we could be unguarded with each other--faith, worldview, values, first generation of our Asian families to be born and reared in America (and married to non-Asians), and Gen Xers. We argued, laughed, teased, commiserated, vented frustrations, celebrated accomplishments, and were "politically incorrect" without concern of offending one another. I miss that self-satisfied smirk on his face when he was intentionally pushing my buttons or felt he was being particularly witty. 

While I'll forever be grateful that Peter embraced me as his "work little sister", his care went beyond professional concerns. He was a sounding board when Nat & I started our learning center. He regularly checked in to see how things were going and offered his advice, leveraging his connections when we needed help he couldn't provide.  He genuinely  wanted the best for us in all aspects of our lives. 

One of Peter's best qualities was that despite his often very serious demeanor at work, he embraced the opportunity to have fun (even at his own expense). I wish I could share my video of him getting pie in the face for a charity fundraiser, but this picture of him being decorated as a Christmas tree will have to suffice. It's a nice reminder of good times with a great guy whom Nat & I loved and will miss tremendously until the day we're reunited in Heaven. 

I got to know Peter from watching our sons play soccer together.  Over the Covid season,  spectators weren't allowed, so Peter was on the sidelines filming the games through facebook live so that parents and grandparents could watch the kids compete.  I was on the field with Peter helping manage the no spectator rules.  Peter was such a nice guy to watch the games with.  He absolutely loved watching his son Zach compete.  He was a Timbers fan and could fill me on on anything happening with the MLS players, but also knew club soccer inside and out, and knew parents and kids around Oregon from soccer paths having crossed.  Peter was the best kind of soccer parent:  always there,  always supportive of Zach, and celebrating the team's accomplishments, and friendly to everyone he met on the sidelines.   We will miss him.

OBITUARY

Peter Kwong

April 14, 1970 – June 18, 2021

Skyline Memorial Gardens and Funeral Home

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