KINGSTON,Peter James 1954-2011 Beloved husband and father Peter Kingston left us on January 18, 2011. Peter is survived by his loving wife, Shirlee Zane; daughter Gwenny Kingston, son Jamie Kingston and daughter-in-law Sally Kingston; grandsons Graham and Henry; stepson David Herrick; father George Kingston; sister Anne Fraser; and numerous nieces, nephews, and in-laws. Born in England, educated at Cambridge University, where he rowed and played rugby for St. John's College, Peter came to California at age 25 as a chartered accountant with Price Waterhouse. He married Kristina Mailliard in 1982. In Santa Cruz they owned and operated Mrs. Wiggles Rocket Juice Company, a pioneer in the natural fruit juice market. Peter and his family moved to Santa Rosa in 1985, to expand their business and be closer to family. Together they ran the juice company until Kristina's death in 2001. In 2004 Peter married Shirlee Zane, blending their families together in their home on McDonald Avenue. They loved traveling to England, where they hiked in the Lake District for the past nine years. Peter was a perfect gentleman, fulfilling one of their wedding vows by bringing coffee and breakfast to her in bed every morning. Peter served as Director of Finance and Operations for Ursuline High School starting in 2005, until 2011. In 2008, Peter acted as finance manager in wife Shirlee's successful run for county supervisor. He knocked on hundreds of doors for her, always saying in his British accent, "Hello, my wife is running for county supervisor." Peter took much joy organizing outdoor adventures, parlor games, and ping-pong tournaments, as well as introducing a generation to such exotic sports as Watermelon Polo. He was well-known as the boss at the Candy Casino, a mainstay of McDonald Avenue's annual Halloween extravaganza. He loved gardening and reading books on religion and history. Spending most of his adult life in Santa Rosa, Peter never lost his British charm. He had a great gift for setting people at ease, making friends in every community of which he was a part. No one ever forgot him. Peter will be remembered with much love by all who knew him, especially his family and close friends, who hear his hearty laugh and feel his warm embrace even now. Family and friends are invited to attend a memorial service Sunday, January 23, at the Jackson Theater, Sonoma Country Day School, 4400 Day School Place (off Aviation Blvd.), Santa Rosa. Services begin at 1:30 p.m. A reception for family and friends will be held afterwards at 1020 McDonald Ave, Santa Rosa, CA. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to LandPaths, 618 4th St #217, Santa Rosa, CA, 95404, www.landpaths.org, or the Sonoma County Mental Health Crisis Response Team, 3322 Chanate Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95404. LandPaths works to connect people with the land in Sonoma County. The crisis response team provides mental health service and support to people in crisis.
Published in the Press Democrat from January 21 to January 24, 2011