Peter - Armour

Peter Armour

October 31, 1951 - December 7, 2024 

Tehachapi 

Peter Armour, beloved father, brother, uncle, partner, friend and artist, passed away on December 7th at home in Tehachapi, California, at the age of 73, surrounded by his immediate family while Herbie Hancock's "Maiden Voyage" warmly guided his transition. Born on Halloween 1951 in Memphis, Tennessee, he was the son of Peter Armour (Sr.) and Margaret "Peggy" LeMaster. Peter was raised in Greensboro, North Carolina, with three younger sisters, Olivia, Eve, and Margaret. A graduate of Page High School, Peter earned a BA in English at the University of North Carolina Greensboro where he was a student radio DJ, known for his eclectic taste in jazz.

In the winter of 1977, Peter and his youngest sister Margaret drove across the country to begin new lives in San Francisco, California. It was there that Peter blossomed as a whimsical and unique artist. His colorful paintings and sculptures depicted vivid worlds full of mischievous creatures: dogs driving cars in space, love-stricken demons, Stratocaster angels, and the iconic Transamerica Pyramid pushing a shopping cart while wearing sunglasses. His annual open-studio shows drew many loyal admirers.

With an inherent goofiness and aptitude for physical comedy, Peter auditioned and was accepted, out of thousands of applicants, to the renowned Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College in the mid-80s. Despite being one of the few from his graduating class offered a one-year contract with the circus, Peter instead returned to California to live with his partner and continue working for UCSF, where he was hired in 1981 at an entry-level position.

In 1993 his award-winning children's book STOP THAT PICKLE was published by Houghton Mifflin. The story chronicled a rambunctious and defiant pickle who did NOT want to be eaten. In its great escape from Mr. Adolph's deli, the spirited pickle outran numerous tasty snacks, including a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (which everyone knows is not the fastest sandwich in the world, but it does have great stamina.) The book was translated into many languages, winning the Japan Picture Book Translation Award in 1995, and was featured on the 8th season of the beloved PBS Kids show "Between the Lions". Peter would attend many readings and signings across San Francisco, always making sure to bring along his pickle pen.

By the time of his retirement from UCSF in 2017, Peter had remarkably worked his way up to Assistant Manager of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and clocked in over three decades of biking to work everyday. At his Hawaiian-themed retirement party, he sported a coconut bra. He remained close friends with many co-workers for the rest of his life.

A jazz aficionado and fluent Spanish speaker, Peter loved his family, his many, many cherished friends, a good glass of wine or cup of tea, sudoku, Miles Davis, the short story "A Christmas Memory" by Truman Capote (which he read out loud with his family every Christmas), the San Francisco Giants, regular walks, every dog and cat that crossed his path, owls, tending to his robust garden, and of course the great outdoors. He summited Yosemite's iconic Half Dome four times, the last time at the impressive age of 68. In his final years in Tehachapi, California, he immensely enjoyed the town's walkability. He was known for hanging out at the local German bakery where he passed out granola bars to hikers making pit-stops along the Pacific Crest Trail, and read his poetry at the local open mics.

He is survived by his children, Fiona and Jed, his lifelong friend and partner Chamys, his sisters Olivia Singleton, Eve Armour, and Margaret Armour, his nieces Kendall, Colby, and Ainsley Singleton, and the countless people he touched, inspired, and made double over with laughter over the course of his magnificent life. His extraordinary spirit will never be forgotten. Stop that pickle!