peter m leslie photo rsz

PETER M. LESLIE
1936-2023

Peter Leslie, long time PAHF board member, supporter of Pan Am’s heritage, author, and even a one-time ground operations staffer on Canton Island, passed away in early February at his home in Maine.

Peter came to be closely associated with Pan American by the most natural of connections. His father was John C. Leslie, the man who helped the airline achieve transoceanic success, first in the Pacific as Division Engineer, and later as Manager of the Atlantic Division when the big Boeing Clippers first started across that ocean.

Peter Leslie at Canton Island working for Pan Am w scooter

Peter Leslie at Canton Island

Peter chose another career path than aviation, but not before he had the chance during his student days to spend some time on far-off Canton Island in the era when Pan Am’s big Stratocruisers stopped off for fuel and a refresh on their way to the Southwest Pacific. Peter made a film of his experience which is still one of our most treasured bits of visual history.

Back home, well on his way to a very successful career in the financial world, Peter once again stepped in to assist with important Pan Am business. This time it was to help his father, now retired from active service, with the critical job of collecting and collating the airline’s historical resources for the first Pan Am Historical Foundation that was started while the company was still in operation.

It was this work that probably motivated Peter to stay involved. Between making sure his father’s own valuable records were safeguarded, and pursuing his own historical interests, Peter stayed an active contributor and book reviewer. He also traveled and wrote about wide-ranging subjects such as the Flying Boat Museum at Foynes, Pan Am and the Azores, and Portugal’s unique tile billboards that have maintained a colorful and enduring presence for Pan Am for decades.

pan am aviations quiet pioneer cover

Cover of Aviation's Quiet Pioneer

But what we might thank Peter Leslie for most of all is the effort he put into his book about his father: “John Leslie: Aviation’s Quiet Pioneer.” It was a loving and authoritative record of the work his father undertook over the many years he helped build the airline into the dominant aviation force it became.

And Peter was always ready to answer any call and take up any request that came his way. He was a natural diplomat and an irreplaceable pillar of the Pan Am community. We will miss him greatly.

Read more about Peter's life: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/portland-me/peter-leslie-11134622