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Darrow, Peter P.

Darrow, Peter P. image
Parent Issue
Day
29
Month
July
Year
2005
Copyright
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Donated by the Ann Arbor News. © The Ann Arbor News.
Obituary
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Darrow, Peter P.

Ann Arbor, Ml

Peter P. Darrow, age 85, died peacefully on Wednesday, July 27 after a prolonged illness. He was the beloved husband of Susan, his wife of 34 years, father of Duncan and Peter, and step-father of Sara Parker Floyd, Elizabeth Parker Egge and John Elliott Parker, Jr. He was a loving grandfather of five grandchildren: Meredith, Peter, Jack, Calvin, and Hannah. He is also survived by his sister, Marie. He was preceded in death by his former wife, Charlotte Noble Felheim. He was born 1919 in Glen Cove, New York; attended New York University; became a certified public accountant; was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy in 1941, and participated in the invasions of North Africa and Italy, receiving numerous decorations for his service in the Navy in the Mediterranean; and attended Michigan Law School, graduating in 1948. He was a founding partner of the law firm of Mann, Lipnik,
& Darrow in Ann Arbor, and practiced law in Ann Arbor for over 50 years. He raised two families, and was devoted to his family, his clients, his friends, and to the causes in which he became involved, including Democratic Party politics, civil rights, legal service for the underrepresented, and the Ann Arbor arts community. He was active for many years in the Democratic Party in Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County, serving in a variety of capacities, including as former Chairman of the Democratic Party of Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County, and serving as the representative of the Second Congressional District to two National Democratic Conventions. He served as a member of the vestry of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church for many years, and served as treasurer of the Episcopal Student Foundation. He also served as chairman of the local chapter of the VFW for a number of years. He was a leading advocate for the construction of affordable housing, both in Ann Arbor and in the nation. He was the primary author of an important amendment to the National Housing Act that was widely considered critical to the construction of subsidized housing throughout the country, which led to the extensive construction of affordable housing for lower income families. His involvement in the legislation resulted in the construction of a number of affordable housing developments in Washtenaw County. Peter was also an active advocate for civil rights in Ann Arbor and in the State of Michigan. In the 1950s and early 1960s, he was very involved in the desegregation of Ann Arbor, purchasing homes in white neighborhoods with other white ‘investors' and then reselling them to African-Americans on a land contract basis. He was also an active member of the State Coordinating Council on Civil Rights and was a lifetime member in the NAACP. He was very active in the Ann Arbor arts community, and was a founding member of, and served on the board of, a number of arts organizations, in particular the Great Lakes Performing Artists Associates. He was a leader in establishing legal services for the poor in Washtenaw County, and was recognized in 1998 by the Michigan Bar Association and in 1992 by the Washtenaw County Lawyers Association for his career-long devotion to pro bono legal services on behalf of the poor, receiving the John W. Cummiskey Pro Bono Publico Award from the Michigan Bar Association in 1998. He also received the Patriot Award for his pro bono service from the Washtenaw County Bar Association. He was a founding member and chair of the Legal Services Pro Bono Committee of the Washtenaw County Bar Association that was established in 1960, which ultimately created the Washtenaw County Legal Aid Society, and over the years took on a large number of pro bono cases personally. He was passionate bluewater sailor, and participated in the Bermu-da/Nassau and Port Huron/ Mackinac races multiple times. Peter Darrow leaves behind innumerable friends and clients from a career of over 50 years as a lawyer and civic servant in Ann Arbor. The funeral service will be held 2:00 p.m. Monday, August 1st, at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, at 306 North Division Street, Ann Arbor. The family will receive visitors at the Church from 1:00 p.m. to the time of service. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Legal Services of South Central Michigan, at 420 North 4th Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, or The St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church.