Neil Peck

Neil Peck OBE, prominent Denver lawyer (ret.) and public servant, died peacefully at home, with his devoted wife Jan and eldest daughter Mary by his side, on September 20, 2022, following a short bout with cancer. He was 83.

Neil was born in the Bronx, New York, to the late Judge Louis Peck and Mollie (Zwick) Peck. Neil attended New York public schools including the Bronx High School of Science, from which he graduated at the age of 16, in 1955. Thereafter, Neil attended Tufts University, graduating Magna Cum Laude in 1959, and Yale Law School, graduating in 1962. He served in the U.S. Air Force Reserve and as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Naval Reserve.

Following his graduation from law school, Neil was appointed an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York by the great Robert Morganthau, approved by Attorney General Robert Kennedy, where he worked for three years. His years as an AUSA were a highlight of his career, where he prosecuted complicated criminal cases together with his colleagues, many of whom became lifelong friends. In 1966, Neil went to the Wall Street firm, Hughes, Hubbard & Reed where he learned civil litigation and represented clients such as Ford Motor and Bendix Corporation. In 1969, Neil joined Great Western Corporation in Denver, Colorado as Vice President of Legal Affairs. Neil returned to private practice in 1972,  when he joined Davis, Graham & Stubbs LLP, Denver, where he was a partner for 28 years, including one term as Managing Partner. He then helped establish the Denver office of Snell & Wilmer LLP, where he was Of Counsel for 18 years.

Neil was always interested in public service and committed to giving back to the institutions that had enriched his life. For many years, Neil devoted a lot of time to helping Yale Law School and Yale University. In 1983, the Yale Alumni Association awarded Neil their highest honor, the Yale Medal, to recognize his outstanding individual service to the University. The award citation stated in part that: “Neil worked tirelessly for the Law School, in fund-raising and in its many organizations. [His] contributions…his wise counsel, gentle guidance and cooperative spirit have all helped move Law School activities into the forefront on Yale’s alumni community.” Neil was also active with the American Bar Association, Tufts University, the Reform Club of London, and with the Yale Club of NYC, which has long served as his family’s home away from home for special events.

In Colorado, Neil served in many different ways. Neil was appointed four times by three Colorado Governors (Governors Lamm, Owens, and Hickenlooper) to state positions. He was the first Chairman of the Colorado Lottery Commission (1982-1984). Neil served on the then Colorado Council on the Arts and for some years as Chairman of the Colorado State Personnel Board. At almost the same time, Neil was appointed by Denver’s Mayor Michael Hancock to the city’s Career Service Authority Board where he was elected Co-Chairman. He was also a Trustee of Graland Country Day School and U.K. Charitable Foundation for the University of Colorado.

Neil’s well-known love for the United Kingdom, and London especially, began when he was a child and his father introduced him to the work of Charles Dickens. Neil began to travel to London for work in the 1970s, brought his young daughters there, discovered Savile Row tailors, and made friends and connections there that would last his lifetime. He was a devoted member of the Reform Club in London, a visiting professor at Nottingham Law School, and delighted in traveling there several times per year for decades. As a result of his interest and expertise, Neil was appointed the Honorary British Consul for Colorado, a role he held for six years, from 1994-2000. His efforts to create opportunities for U.K.-Colorado trade were so successful that he was replaced by a full-time paid civil servant and Consul’s office for the State of Colorado. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II honored Neil for his service in June 2022, when he was made an honorary Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE).

Neil will be remembered for his roaring laughter, delightful humor, acute intellect, steadfast integrity, irrevocable loyalty, trademark generosity, impeccable dress, and hearty devotion to fellowship.  A voracious reader, his love of history and insatiable curiosity led to a life of joyful learning, often in his cherished, carefully curated library.

Neil is survived by his beloved and amazingly creative and supportive wife of 32 years, Margaret “Jan” Coakley McCulloch Peck, daughters Mary Peck, an art advisor and appraiser based in Denver, (Greg Kasper and Gracie), and Grace L.P. Beason, an event planner in Durham, N.C. (Mattie Beason, Court and Than), Jan’s five children and 12 grandchildren, his first wife, Carol (Joplin Elliott), and his devoted canine companion Baxter. Neil’s only sibling was the late prominent New York City lawyer, Gregory Peck.

Neil often said that the many dear friends and family with whom he surrounded himself "enriched his life" and it is certainly the case that he enriched ours. He was one of a kind and will be fondly remembered and greatly missed.

Burial will be private. A Celebration of Life will be held in Denver at the Denver Country Club on October 21, 2022 at 4:00pm. A live stream will also be available.

Gifts in Neil’s memory may be made to Yale Law School law.yale.edu/giving , Mother of God Church, Denver, University of Colorado Foundation Cancer Center General Research Fund https://giving.cu.edu/fund/cancer-center-general-research-fund and and UCHealth Patient Coordinated Services Fund https://giving.cu.edu/fund/uchealth-patient-coordinated-services-fund .