Peter Oliver Muir
October 25, 1937 – September 24, 2024
Peter Muir was born into a typical large Jamaican family. He had 7 other siblings: Norma (Cherry), June, Marjorie (Madge), Robert (Bobby), Laura, Sheila, & Fay. The family could not afford to send him to high school after his elementary education.
Thus he had to work first before he could attend High School. The nuns had to beg St George’s, which was not a public school at the time, for the school to accept him into 3rd form.
Although he missed the first two years of high school he rallied to be the top performer and achieve excellence by the time he graduated from 6th form.
He excelled at St. George’s and achieved the highest grades for a Jamaican in the 1955 British Senior Cambridge Examinations and became the top student in the island. He was valedictorian at St George’s College, won the “Jamaica Scholar” award and was given a full scholarship to study at Harvard University.
Upon returning to Jamaica, Peter Muir was inspired to stand up for and advocate for his mother and other community members with scarce resources in his home community of downtown Kingston.
He was a loving and dedicated husband to his wife Beverly Hanson Muir as she battled MS, and later cancer also until her untimely passing from Cancer in 2006. His love and care for her was acknowledged their St. Andrew Parish Church congregation even recognized nationally.
Peter Muir was a caring and attentive father to his son David & daughter Susan.
His son David recalls how he taught him to see the importance of being independent from a young age. Their family responsibilities included getting groceries for the family and driving to assist with while their mother was bedbound.
He could find the positive in almost every situation.
He retired at 50 and became a full-time philanthropist, caretaker for Beverly, and independent financial investor. He donated his treasure, talent, and time to multiple service organizations, in particular the Rotary Club, and created a scholarship fund to assist students with needed resources.
He was a brilliant person and used his brilliance to achieve excellence in education and more importantly in life as a person of great character, love & integrity.
In lieu of flowers, financial contributions in memory of Peter and Norma Muir can be made to Helping Hands Jamaica Foundation (https://helpinghandsjamaica.com).