Peter Smith 1942-2020

Peter went up to Fitzwilliam in 1961 to read English literature. Whilst at Cambridge Peter spent much of his time acting. A notable highlight were his roles in a Harold Pinter double bill with the Cambridge Arts Theatre. Here he shared the stage with a renowned vintage of Cambridge performers who went on to fulfil highly distinguished careers in acting and the theatre.

After graduating, Peter worked in marketing at Procter & Gamble. It was later at P&G where he met his wife, Joyotee, who at the time also worked in marketing, herself having recently graduated from Cambridge. They were married in India within six months, with Peter accepting a transfer with P&G to Caracas, Venezuela. This was the start of a long international career in marketing and General Management which took Peter to the Philippines, briefly back to the UK, Nigeria, Hong Kong, Thailand, Sri Lanka and finally to Indonesia, where both he and Joyotee concluded their careers.

They retired in Phuket in 2002, having designed a Thai style villa with sweeping views of the Andaman Sea, showcasing Peter’s aesthetic talents. In retirement Peter played a leading role in helping establish the Chaine des Rotisseurs in Phuket serving in the council for many years, first as Vice Chancelier from 2005 and later as Bailli from 2012 to 2015.

Peter will be remembered for his fabulous wit, his tremendous aesthetic sense and his enjoyment of life, notably his love of food and wine.