Peter THOMAS Obituary

Pete was a wonderful friend and colleague who will never be forgotten by many of us that he worked with at SPC/SPREP. He was a very special and much loved person. Several people (15) have sent to each other email messages for you Julie, Anna and Sam but in the absence of an email contact for you, I am re-sending a hard copy of these in a card to your home. We will miss you Pete.

The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) conveys its deepest condolences to Peter´s family.

Peter had a long association with SPREP and was one of our first staff members in his position as Protected Areas Management Officer 1986-1991. In his role with TierraMar Consulting he worked with SPREP again in a number of consultancies, including development of our first Strategic Plan in 2010 and on the first Regional Framework for Nature Conservation and Protected Areas that came out of the 9th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas in 2013.

Peter will always be remembered for his passion and enthusiasm for nature conservation and protected areas and willingness to help out. He was one of the Pacific´s environmental champions.

You will be sadly missed Peter but your contributions to Pacific islands conservation will last forever.

Condolences to your family.

I remember Pete with gratitude and respect. He brought wisdom to our work in the Pacific with humility and humbleness. His wisdom on how to practice conservation in the Pacific continues to this day and will for years to come. Many like me feel privileged to have known Pete. Haere ra Pete

Pete was a wonderful guy who gave so much and so willingly, to family, friends, and to his work. As one of the few staff at the beginning of SPREP in Noumea he worked tirelessly for conservation in the Pacific, including working with indigenous communities against foreign logging companies always fully committing himself with generosity, compassion and understanding, always with his wonderful smile. I will miss you Pete. My thoughts and deepest sympathy are with Julie and family, your loss is so much more than mine. Arohanui.