Dear Partner,
It is with profound sadness that I must inform you of the passing of our Director, Peter Brown, my husband, father to our young daughter and business partner. A friend, colleague, entrepreneur and an all round super man. He died unexpectedly on August 8th in hospital.
He wouldn’t have wanted a fuss made, so simply I wanted to inform you that Hosts International will continue with no changes.
Peter loved working every single day, he never intended to retire, his passion and enthusiasm for the company and service remained unchanged until his final day, after decades of seeing it all across many roles in the ELT industry and over his long career in sales and business.
Peter was a vibrant person, full of life and energy, he was always involved, he wanted to be, every single day, we thought he will always be around, he made an impression on all whom he met and always had a story to tell, he had time for everyone and was always interested in people, he loved our clients, hosts and students! He had long lasting and strong, friendly, personal relationships with so many of you, our school partners, agents and the wider ELT and study travel industry. I know the industry and sector will be diminished by this news.
He will be remembered for his friendly, funny northern character and always said it as it was, maybe often with colourful language but he was true to himself, his charisma as well as his amazing leadership, forward thinking ideas along with his relentless positive attitude to growth and enhancements, that has made Hosts international what it is today.
He firmly believed in host family accommodation (he disliked it called ‘homestays’!) as a vital part of any students experience. He made such a difference to the industry through his commitment to providing hassle free accommodation options to schools allowing them to focus on the school and not the challenges of host families or accommodation. We have grown, through good, friendly, personal service and a can do yes attitude with fast responses, that Peter cemented in us all daily. As a result, we are now across 15 UK locations and across Dublin, Ireland and he had no intention of stopping!
His motto was always, “no matter what, it is business as usual”, and we continue his legacy. Myself, my team and Hosts International is here for you now as it was before. I want to assure you, we remain and continue as before.
We have a memorial arranged, if you would like to leave an online tribute, you can click here.
I will speak with you all in due course personally, for now please bear with me, while I take it a bit slow. I am on my email.
With warm regards,
Harsha
Condolences
Not many people I have met in my life have made such a great impression on me. My respect for Peter was enormous and hearing of his passing genuinely knocked me hard… Peter was proper “old skool”! Worked hard, played hard, didn’t put up with fools and wasters and never took his eyes off the ball. It was an honour and a privilege to know Peter and to work with him and to spend some time with him outside the office. Peter will be greatly missed. Big hug to Harsha x
My sincere condolences to you Harsha and your family on the loss of Peter. May God give you strength to continue and peace that surpasses understanding
Wishing all Peter’s family a long happy and healthy life, with only fond memories of an extraordinary individual.
In a world of so much puff and self-promotion, Peter was the perfect antidote. His outstanding ability to puncture these bubbles of pomposity was wonderful to behold. With a tremendous sense of humour and an unparalleled grasp of Anglo-Saxon vernacular he could humble the mighty and frankly make me cry with laughter. Peter was a talented and insightful entrepreneur who truly could meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two imposters the same. I’ll miss you old chap.
I’m deeply sorry to hear about Peter’s loss. My thoughts and prayers are with the family during this difficult time.
Dear Peter, You and Alain Delon both in the same week… The Heavens surely wanted a double dose of charm and sparkle to feast on… We consider ourselves lucky to have known you, to have been your friends, to have been in your home and to have had you in ours. There was always more to know about you – about your strength, about your will, about your character, about your heritage, about your young spirit… Forever young, you shall remain forever present for those who knew you, for those who loved you… Thank you for having been part of our lives and for having touched so many others’. Rest in peace, dear Peter…
Remembering Peter with great respect as my mentor and teacher in my early life in UK. My deepest condolences to Harsha and family. May God bless everyone. (1999 student-Millenium City Accodemy)
Dear Harsha and family, My thoughts are with you all at this difficult time. I have such wonderful memories of working together – the energy and passion that Peter had for life was truly amazing – an incredible man and an inspiration who we will always remember fondly.
When Peter was sleeping for a really long time, me and Georgie said to him “can you buy us a fish and a rabbit” and he said “yes” in his sleep! We thought that was hilarious 🙂 We all miss you Peter but promise to look after Harsha and Georgie from Lilia xxxxxxxx
Dear Harsha My heartfelt condolences to you and your family.
Dear Harsha and Family I am so sorry to hear the very sad news of Peter’s passing. My thoughts and prayers are with you all. May Peter’s wonderful legacy live on.
Peter was an amazing boss and so much more. He was a friend, a mentor and a kind person, always chirpy with something funny to say. A cheeky one liner to make you smile He gave me work opportunities and always believed in my abilities, I will forever be grateful to have met Peter and the impact he has had on my life. I will miss his guidance and his passion for Hosts International. My thoughts and prayers are with Harsha, Georgie and all of Peters extended family and friends. Peter will forever be fondly remembered, from ‘the middle of bl**dy nowhere’ in rural Ireland as he would call it May Peter rest in eternal peace Love always, Christina
Sorry for your loss Harsha we will keep you in our thoughts.
Dear Harsha My deepest condolences to you and the family. May he rest in peace and may you find strength and comfort . With love and prayer.
I didn’t know Peter, my thoughts go to all those who did. The tributes paint a picture of an amazing person who will be missed.
A great man in his ingenuity and dedication. Broght so much opportunity to so many. I shared with him the best experiences of my academic career and so valued his friendship. Whether it was Talaban bullets , Chinese entrepreneurs, Nepalise villages without electricity, The British Inspection Council ,our French partners, the Home Secretery and every other challenge he met them all . Unique and irreplacable!
It will be three weeks tomorrow, but it is still hard to believe that Peter left us. He was such a strong person, who always showed up in the office (even just a day after a surgery or illness) and motivated everyone. I am so thankful to be able to say that I have known Peter for the past 8 years; he is such a close and dear person to me. My thoughts and deepest condolences are with Harsha and Georgie who were dearest to Peter, please stay strong always.
Remembering Peter with such fondness and respect. Sending my sincere condolences and love to Harsha and family. X
Harsha my sincere condolences to you and your family so sorry for your lost Lot of Love.
“Peter, you can’t say that!” seems to be the phrase that I said to Peter most often. He was a funny (often outrageous), warm, genuine, generous and kind man, and we’re really sad to hear of his passing. From visits to his office, to a relaxed weekend in Grange-over-Sands, we really enjoyed Peter’s company. Sending love to Harsha at this difficult time.