Vale Peter Rodgers

23 May 1938 – 13 December 2024

Born in Guyra in the New England region of NSW to Irish and German heritage, one of six children, Peter lived a very full life. His parents divorced when he was young. He spent his formative years at Balgowlah Boys High School on Sydney’s northern beaches, where, according to his recounting, he was the dumbest kid in the class until someone realised that he needed glasses.

Then, again, by his recount, he was the smartest kid in the class and attended Fort St Girls High School in his final years. Yes, Girls' School. For those who knew Pete, nothing was ever entirely clear.

After school he studied at night at Sydney Tech (which later became the University of New South Wales) while working during the day to pay his way.

After leaving university, Peter embarked on the journey of a lifetime. This journey saw him live in Africa in the late 1960s/early 1970s and become initiated as a Maasai warrior. His (first) wife at the time, Jeanette, was a nurse in the local equivalent of the flying doctor service.

I think it was in Africa that Peter contracted malaria, which he blamed for his allergy to red wine (which he remarkably overcame in later life). He then worked as a deep-sea abalone diver and, in his leisure, played rugby for the army team and was an amateur boxer, boxing under the pseudonym Gentlemen Jim Halifax. He was also an avid spear fisherman, working with Ron Taylor for a while.

After joining Peat Marwick Hungerfords, Peter became a Liquidator and Bankruptcy Trustee by chance rather than design. He was one of the first so-called “A” list Liquidators on the Supreme Court and went on to work with many of the industry's legends (of whom I also include him) at BO Smith and Sons.

Having established his own firm of Chartered Accountants at Dee Why on Sydney’s northern beaches, Peter was poached in the late 1980s to start a multidisciplinary firm, Love & Rodgers, where he led the Insolvency team.

I met Peter when I joined the firm in 1990. Somewhere along the way, the firm joined and swallowed the Hall Chadwick network. Peter left Hall Chadwick, and he and I established Rodgers Reidy in 1999.

Peter was a business builder. He built three strong independent firms from the late eighties until his retirement. For those who understood his quirkiness, an unexpected and worthwhile journey followed. He was a very good mentor to many liquidators, lawyers, and other advisors still practicing. His mark on the industry is significant. He was a 50+ year veteran of the Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Peter’s other great passion (outside of his work and family) was sailing. He sailed in 18 Sydney to Hobart races, 17 of them as skipper of his boat “She”, a 40ft Olsen. He won his division in the great race on several occasions. She still sailed in the Sydney to Hobart race under its new owners up to 2023. Peter was a sad man the day he sold She.

He turned 43 on his 60th birthday and stayed that way at least until he was 75, but to those who knew him, he will always be 43. One of the many wonderful stories about Peter is the day in 2006 when he famously discharged himself from the hospital against doctors’ orders after having had heart surgery and turned up at a lawyers' Christmas function in his tracksuit pants and hospital garb with electrodes still attached to his chest.

Peter is survived by his wife, Dr Pat AM, his children from his earlier marriage, Peta-Jane and Michael, and his granddaughter, Anna Rose.

Peter was an enigma.

He left his mark on this life.

[From memory – not fact-checked]

Geoffrey Reidy