Peter D. Kanwit

Born in Washington, DC on April 9, 1944, Peter was raised in the Tauxemont community of Alexandria, Virginia. He received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Next, he served the United States Army as an Advanced Infantryman in the Mortar Platoon as a Personnel Specialist E5, stationed in Nuremberg, Germany during the Vietnam Era. During his time of service, he received the National Defense Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, and was decorated as a Sharpshooter M-14. An advocate for higher education, Peter returned to school courtesy of the GI Bill and earned a Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in Human Resource Management from Tulane University, bringing him to his long-time home in greater New Orleans. In his main professional roles in New Orleans, Peter worked as Director of Human Resources at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Hilton Riverside and Towers, and Fairmont Hotel. Earlier in his career, Peter was among the first 100 employees hired by Amtrak when it began rail passenger service in 1971. He also led the re-start of the Human Resources function for a bankrupt airline, Braniff, which returned to service after ceasing to operate for 22 months.

In his twilight years, Peter was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, but the diagnosis did not prevent him from continuing to positively impact those around him. Peter applied his multifaceted business experience in serving as President of the Southeast Louisiana Veterans’ Council in Reserve, LA up until his passing. He was especially proud to have led an initiative that honored many wonderful staff members of the Veterans Home through a monthly recognition program, to increase catered dining options for the veterans, and to bring employees of the New Orleans Saints as visitors to the Home. These efforts reflected his deep care and concern for the fellow residents and staff. He also tapped his diverse professional experiences in years spent as an MBA mentor for Tulane University’s A.B. Freeman School of Business. His excellence in roles such as these was acknowledged by a Jay A. Pritzker Award for Leadership at Hyatt Hotels, honoring individuals who consistently demonstrated outstanding ability as leaders, coaches, and mentors.

An avid fan of UNC basketball and New Orleans Saints football, Peter was also an enthusiastic reader of nonfiction and John Grisham novels. He enjoyed traveling throughout the US, Mexico, Canada, and Europe; playing Scrabble and the card game Casino taught to him by his own parents; admiring the birds, his Jack Russell Terriers, and later his Havanese granddogs; and tending to a garden of prized rose bushes and citrus trees for years in the Whitney Heights area of Metairie. Peter demonstrated tolerance, open-mindedness, and respectful appreciation for the dignity of friends and co-workers from a wide range of backgrounds. He worked to instill these values in his own children, along with a desire to pursue higher education and to attend to the well-being of others. And he always made clear his unwavering love and support for his family.

Peter is survived by his loving wife of 49 years, Gloria Treybig Kanwit, originally of New Iberia, LA; daughter Catherine Kanwit Rossignol (Noel Rossignol) of New Orleans, LA; son Matthew H. Kanwit (Brandon Kujawski) of Pittsburgh, PA; brother Roy H. Kanwit (Mary DeBey) of Spencertown, NY; nieces Ariana D. Kanwit of Durham, NC and Karen E. Price (Justin Meadows) of Los Angeles; and nephew Michael E. Price (Jade Gibson Price) of London. He was preceded in death by parents Julia Pinkus Kanwit and Edmond Lee Kanwit of Sarasota, FL by way of New York, NY; and sister Lisa Kanwit Price (David E. Price) of Chapel Hill, NC.

The family would like to give special thanks to the exemplary, caring staff at the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Home. Memorial contributions may be made to Peter's tribute page on the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research at https://tribute.michaeljfox.org/tribute-page.php?id=2695 or to The Wounded Warrior Project at https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org/default.aspx?tsid=10043&ovr_acv_id=5246

A visitation for Peter will be held Friday, September 8, 2023 from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd., New Orleans, LA 70124, followed by Words of Remembrance beginning at 1:30pm, a Memorial Mass at 2:00 PM, and interment thereafter at All Saints Mausoleum. All times listed are Central.

The live stream link for the memorial service is: https://view.oneroomstreaming.com/index.php?data=MTY5Mzk1MDg3MjI3MDI4NyZvbmVyb29tLWFkbWluJmNvcHlfbGluaw==