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Farewell to a Dear Friend

Industry giant Peter Glen dies unexpectedly at age 62

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Thursday, October 04, 2001 – Peter Glen, retail actor and activist, who regularly motivated the employees of some of the world's largest companies, was found dead, of natural causes, yesterday at his home in Cloverdale, California. His death was unexpected.

Peter's client list included retailers, manufacturers, educators, and service providers in every sector of the economy. Among them were Adidas, Clairol, Karastan Bigelow, Kraft Foods, Mall of America, Nautica, News America Marketing, Nike, Saatchi & Saatchi, Timex, TV Guide, Wal-Mart, and Washington Mutual Bank.

Peter was born in Milwaukee, grew up in Manistee, Michigan, studied literature and drama at the University of Arizona, sold women's sportswear in the South, moved to Australia, and returned to New York to live for thirty years. Beginning with a single client, he built a brilliant career, reaching tens of thousands of people all over the globe.

Usually referred to as a motivational speaker, Peter was a true spirit of the theater. No one who saw his dynamic presentations (often subtitled “100 Ideas in 100 Minutes”) came away unamazed by his energy, stamina and unique wit. His most recent performances, at age 62, still displayed all his youthful vitality.

Peter Glen was the author of It's Not My Department!, 10 Years of Peter Glen, Encore!, Customer Service: Or Else! (video), and Adventures in Sales, Service and Self-Esteem (video and CD-ROM). He had been keynote speaker at the Retail Advertising Conference since 1982 and monthly columnist for VM+SD Magazine since 1983. On February 11, 1999, he received the Retail Advertising Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award.

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After many years in New York, Peter moved to Cloverdale, a small town in northern California. From Cloverdale, he maintained an extremely active travel schedule, presenting new ways of thinking to his clients, while enjoying the tranquil natural environment of California's Sonoma Valley.

He is survived by two sisters and a brother.

Memorial donations may be made to the C.A.R.E. Foundation, which benefits the public school system in Cloverdale. Please reference Peter Glen and send check to: PO Box 781, Cloverdale, CA 95425.

An informal memorial gathering will be held in Cloverdale on Sunday, October 21, 2-3 p.m. at Vintage Towers Bed & Breakfast Inn, 302 North Main Street. A gathering in New York is being organized for the near future.

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