In memoriam: Peter Law

The university is deeply saddened by the death of Peter Law, who passed away peacefully after a short illness on Thursday 8 February.

Peter has left behind his family and a legacy of friends, including his colleagues from across the university during his 12 years working for LJMU.

After starting his time in the marketing team, Peter worked in the admissions hub for the Faculty of Education, Health and Community where he truly came into his own, delighting in the opportunity to grow strong bonds with colleagues and becoming a specialist in Teacher Training admissions

He was a great ambassador for the university and his infectious laugh, natural kindness and ability to connect with people meant colleagues and visitors alike would always be left with a warm glow. Peter enjoyed working at university events – particularly recruitment fairs in Northern Ireland where he loved to chat and reassure applicants and visitors with his friendly manner. He also supported student advocates, ran tours of facilities and proudly showed off the IM Marsh campus.

A love for his job

Peter spent the last 18 months working with admissions in Exchange Station, where his kind and friendly personality helped him to develop strong bonds with new team members, welcoming them to the team with characteristic warmth and humour. He would often go above and beyond what was expected of him and he would do this out of his love for the job and respect of the colleagues around him.

More recently, Peter continued working with his colleagues in the School of Education to assist with the OFSTED inspection where he came in over a weekend to help colleagues make sure the inspection went smoothly - which it did, naturally, with Peter’s support. 

Peter represented the very best of the university; he cared deeply about students and his colleagues and made sure everyone around him was happy. Everyone who knew Peter will remember his incredible laugh, his constant misplacement of his mobile phone (and roping everyone in to find it) along with an enduring love of books and the outdoors. Peter will be deeply missed but never forgotten by his friends and colleagues across LJMU.

Creating a lasting memorial

In memory of Peter, his family, friends and colleagues are preparing a fundraising campaign to plant trees to create ‘Peter’s Woodland’, a lasting memorial to a man who cared deeply for the environment around him.

If you would like to contribute to planting Peter’s Woodland, please visit the fundraising page

Peter’s service takes place at 12 noon on Tuesday 27 February at St Clare and St Hugh Church, Arundel Avenue, Sefton Park, followed by Springwood Crematorium.

Memories of Peter from his LJMU friends

"Peter was truly one of life’s one-offs and had that rare gift of immediately making an impact on everyone he met. The outpouring of love and grief in equal measure on the news of his passing is a true reflection of what a warm, funny and caring human being he was. Peter spent the last 18 months working with us in admissions, some of us had known him for many years while other new faces were greeted by his infectious and unique personality, which rubbed off immediately on anyone who met him and it soon felt like they had known Peter for years too.

"Peter had an inherent desire and natural ability to help people, to cheer them up, to make them laugh and to always put himself second, this meant that he often went way over and beyond what was expected of him, but that was him. I know lots of people were hugely fond of Peter and the team here who he worked with most recently are all devastated at the huge hole this has left in our daily lives at work, but we also know that soon we’ll be remembering Peter with a smile and a laugh, as I’m sure he would have wanted us to.

"We’ll all miss his weird and wonderful ways, his quirky phrases and stories, his brews and his loud, infectious laugh. What a lovely man, we could all do with being a bit more Peter."

"Pete was such a positive presence, with a hugely likeable, warm character. His commitment to interview days and to recruitment events, and the way in which he engaged so genuinely with prospective students and their parents, led to many student teachers choosing LJMU, and pursuing their teaching careers with us. That is part of the legacy he leaves; but mostly I think he will be remembered by staff for his infectious laugh, his sense of fun, and his kindness. You could always tell when Pete was coming along a corridor and looked forward to seeing him at your office door."

"Peter, a true gent, lovely, kind and an absolute gem. His dedication to LJMU students was at the centre of everything. Peter loved to treat each student like a friend and he would go the extra mile to ensure that they got what they wanted, just so he could chat to them about the process the whole way through... There are many students who are only on the programme because he spoke to them and made them feel valued as a person.

"It was the same with his relationship with the primary team. He’d often pop by to speak with the team to see how they were, or even if they wanted a coffee. He’d make sure everyone had what they needed to interview and brighten their day. He had an infectious laugh, which could be heard down the corridor from his office, that always made you feel good; he was genuinely interested in you and just loved life and people.

"He will leave a gaping hole in LJMU because he touched everyone he met and everyone who knew him is all the better for knowing him."

"His laugh was infectious and although he was known for being loud, he worked so hard to ensure the student's transition was as smooth as possible and often supported them out of hours to reduce anxiety. He took great pride in his work and tried to support everyone around him. Even our latest Ofsted Inspection in June 23, he was in on Saturday supporting us because he just couldn't let go of Education.

"He had a love for reading and would buy original books as gifts for the birth of his friend's children as he wanted to share his value and passion for books and reading. He also always wanted to get back into creative writing, which he was hoping to do this year.  

"He was also very keen about the environment and would often go around Princess Park or Sefton in the evenings litter picking before settling down with a book on a bench. That was why he cycled everywhere and would encourage anyone who would listen to get into cycling.

"He will be deeply missed but never forgotten and his Lancashire tones will forever stick in my mind."