Peter Donnelly.

The first group of people I got to know when we moved to Seattle in the late 70s were, not surprisingly, connected with my work at the Seattle Art Museum -- other arts leaders focused on collaboration and advocacy on behalf of all the arts. Peter Donnelly created and drove the Arts Alliance of Seattle for many years, in conjunction with his work for the Seattle Rep. He went on from the Rep to lead the Corporate Council for the Arts, now called Arts Fund, until 2005. He was what we call a big leader, with passion and enthusiasm and guts. He shared everything he knew with others. He had a great sense of humor. And he died Saturday at the age of 70, of complications from pancreatic cancer. His death leaves a very large hole in this community and in myheart.

4:30pm: "Peter F. Donnelly, member of the Foundation and Emeritus boards passed away on Saturday. Along with his well documented legacy in the arts community, he also played an instrumental role in shaping the Library through the Foundation. Peter joined the foundation board in 1994....He was a committed supporter ...[whose] memory lives on at the Central Library....a group of major campaign donors recognized Peter’s contributions to the arts community by naming the Peter F. Donnelly Arts and Literature Collection in his honor. "