Peter Slater Hurst

Peter Slater Hurst, father and husband, died on October 11th, at home.

Peter was born on March 9, 1945 in Bradford, England to Tom William Hurst and Irene Slater Hurst. Peter had an older sister, Christine, and the family initially lived in Yorkshire, England. They moved to Edinburgh when his father was appointed as the Head of the Royal Infirmary, the largest academic medical center in Scotland.

In Yorkshire, he attended Merchant Taylor School before the family moved to Edinburgh, Scotland. In Edinburgh, he attended Merchiston Castle school where, in addition to his studies, he played rugby and was a competitive cross country runner. Peter continued running well into his 70s.

During a summer break from Dental School, he worked as a lumberjack clearing runs at Whistler Ski Resort in Canada. He returned to Edinburgh University, earning a BDS, dental degree, followed by an Oral Surgery Degree at the Royal College of Surgeons. Later he attended Eastman School in London, earning a degree in periodontics. He was awarded a Charles Freeman Scholarship to attend Northwestern University Dental School in prosthodontics. At Northwestern, he became an instructor of Oral Surgery and was asked to develop a hospital dental program to train post-graduate residents in the treatment of medically compromised patients. He served on the hospital board and was a surveyor of the Joint Commission of Accreditation of Hospitals. He was Chairman and Chief of the Division of Hospital Dentistry and Oral Surgery from 1978 to 2023 when he was made an emeritus professor at Northwestern University.

In Chicago, he met his wife, Maggie, in 1978, whom he married in 1985. He was a father to Peter Connor, Irene Alice, Christopher James, and Katrina Margaret, who continue to honor his memory and work ethic in the fields of aerospace engineering, pediatric medicine, mechanical engineering and veterinary medicine, respectively.

He had a passion and a talent for woodworking, restoring vintage cars, building, and remodeling. He loved spending time with his family, particularly in Lake Geneva and on Washington Island. He had a great sense of humor and was good at regaling audiences with stories of his life in Scotland.

He is survived by his wife and four children, in-laws, nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents, Tom and Irene, and sister, Christine.

In accordance with his wishes, the family requests that we celebrate Peter’s life by going for a run, taking a walk, fixing something broken, or lending someone a hand.

To post an online condolence please proceed to the bottom of the obituary under Guest Book where you can submit your post.

Derrick Funeral Home of Lake Geneva is honored to be assisting the Hurst family.