Peter Paul Dillard Olejar died surrounded by family, at home in Raleigh, NC in the morning of April 15, 2024. He will be remembered for his passion for music, love for his family, thirst for knowledge, his profound interest in the people he met, his personalized thank you notes, and his silly love for puns.

He loved each of his family members unconditionally. Pat, who preceded him in death, was his first love. They met at Duke and were married right after graduation. They enjoyed 47 years together. Bess (Elizabeth) was born in 1967 and Pete and Pat moved back to NC, to Pat’s state. Three years later Katherine was born at the old Rex hospital. The girls have been the loves of his life.

In 2009 Peter married Carolyn, who he knew from childhood in Baltimore, but had not seen in 50 years. They enjoyed 15 years of married life in Raleigh. They moved in 2018 to the Cypress where they made many new friends. Peter is also survived by his daughters’ husbands Kevin Shirley and Mark Reitz, and his grandchildren Clay Shirley, Colby Reitz and Hannah Reitz.

Peter earned his AB degree at Duke University and his Master of Music degree at Yale University and continued with graduate studies at the University of Toronto Electronic Music Laboratory. He studied for two years with Pulitzer Prize winners Elliott Carter and Mel Powell (classical composer and Benny Goodman band member and arranger), conducting with recording artist Gustav Meier and playing the trombone with Robert Nagel of the New York Brass Ensemble. Peter wrote music for chamber orchestra, brass ensemble, string quartet, theater orchestra, symphony orchestra, large dance bands, chorus, children’s plays, children’s chorus, solo vocal music, carillon and organ.

MorningStar Music Publications published his choral music, The Chalice Press his Chalice Anthems and his carillon pieces were published in American Carillon Music Editions and by the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America. Peter’s carillon pieces have been played across the United States, in Australia and France. His communion hymn “Now We Come before God’s Presence” is included in the Chalice Hymnal. He arranged the musical accompaniment for Danny Aiello’s singing in the Richard Dreyfuss feature film “Once Around.” He has played backing up Anita Bryant and for the Four Aces. His electronic compositions are listed in Repertoire International des Musiques Electroacustiques Nos 2/3. His “Chaconne!” for organ premiered on the Flentrop organ in Duke Chapel. He was selected to write the opening music for the 1999 international meeting of the General Assembly of the Disciples of Christ, and text and music for the closing assembly of the 2000 Disciples of Christ Regional Assembly of North Carolina. His “Panegyrikos” was commissioned for the opening concert of the World Carillon Federation Congress 2000 and was later played at the inauguration of the new president of Duke University. He has been commissioned to write solo organ, choral pieces and hymns for special occasions at churches in Georgia, Maryland, Illinois, North Carolina, New York and Texas and has written many orchestrations for hire.

Peter served as Director of Music at St. Paul’s Christian Church, Raleigh NC for fifty-two years. For four years he served as the director of summer choral workshops at Christmount Retreat in Black Mountain, NC. He was an officer in the North Carolina Composers Alliance. He taught instrumental and choral music in public schools in Ohio. In addition to his musical activities, he was a Consulting Systems Engineer for the IBM Corporation.

A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, April 27, 2024, at 10:00 am, at St. Paul’s Christian Church, 3331 Blue Ridge Road, Raleigh, NC 27612. An interment will follow, for family only.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Duke University William Klenz Prize in Music Composition, which is an award that Peter created to honor his special music mentor or to the St Paul’s Christian Church Music Fund. To donate to Duke online at https://www.gifts.duke.edu/?designation=3915024. To donate to St. Paul’s, please send a check to the St. Paul’s Christian Church – Music Fund to the address above.