Peter O. Crisp, son of Martha Ottley and Vandeventer Crisp, was born August 9, 1932, and died on August 4th, 2026, at the age of 93. Born and raised on Long Island, Peter was a resident of Hobe Sound, FL, and spent summers on Fishers Island, NY.
Following graduation from the Hotchkiss School ’50 and Yale in ‘55, Peter served as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Air Force in the Strategic Air Command in Alaska and Texas and at Tactical Air Command Headquarters in Langley, VA. After receiving his MBA at Harvard Business School in 1960, he was employed by the Rockefeller Family. His focus was on venture capital, pioneered by Laurance Rockefeller, who concentrated on early-stage technology companies in aviation, aerospace, and electronics.
In 1969, he was the founding partner of Venrock, a partnership funded by the Rockefeller family and related non-profit organizations, to invest in embryonic enterprises. During his 52-year association with the family, he was instrumental in creating millions of jobs and fostering companies that have been transformational.
Peter served on the boards of 42 companies, including Eastern Air Lines, Texas Air, Itek Corporation, Apple Computer (16 years), Thermo Electron (29 years – now Thermo Fisher), American Superconductor (25 years), and Evans and Sutherland. Following his retirement from Venrock in 1997, Peter served as Vice-Chairman of Rockefeller Financial Services for 6 years. He received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Venture Capital Association in 2004 and the Harvard Business School Alumni Achievement Award in 2024. Peter also served on the boards of three hospitals, motivated by the legacy of his brother Vandeventer who died from leukemia at age 12: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (42 years); Chairman of the Board of Glen Cove Hospital (now owned by Northwell) (8 years); and Chairman of the Jupiter Medical Center Foundation (5 years), as well as numerous educational and community charitable organizations on Fishers Island, Long Island and Florida.
For Peter, his family always came first; a devoted husband, he cherished every daughter and grandchild equally. Peter loved family recreation, including golf, skiing, and tennis. He was a fine athlete and played varsity hockey at Yale. One of his most cherished places was the Beaver Dam Winter Sports Club, an outdoor sports haven, which he served as President for 5 years while playing on the Senior teams until age 63. At Beaver Dam, he was “Coach” to legions of boys who still call him that. In 2005, the club honored his contributions by renaming its covered rink in his name. He will be remembered for his remarkable business achievements and even more impressively for the way he cared for everyone whose lives he touched. Always putting others first, Peter made people feel special and important. He was a beloved presence wherever he went— recognized by his easy demeanor, strong sense of values, and razor-sharp intelligence. He had a rare gift for thoughtful understanding. Generous with his time, his advice, and his friendship, he was, to countless people, as much a mentor and a counselor as a friend. His guiding mantra — Learn, Earn and Return — was a philosophy he visibly lived every day.
Peter is survived by his wife Emily (Missy) of 63 years; three daughters, Wendy C. Henderson (Ted) of West Palm Beach, FL, Ann C. von Stade (John) of Rowayton, CT, and Tina C. Miller (Malcolm) of New Canaan, CT; nine grandchildren; and 1 great-grandchild. His sister, Lucetta Crisp Knox, and his brother Van predeceased him.
A Celebration of Life was held at St. John’s Church on Fishers Island on Monday, August 31, 2026. A reception followed at the Fishers Island Club.
A service in Jupiter Island, Florida will be held at a later date.
Gifts to honor Peter may be made to the Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA), or Jupiter Medical Center Foundation (JMCF), or Fishers Island Community Center (FICC).
