Peter’s daughter, Janis, informed me that her father had passed away. She and her sister Terri and brother Peter, wrote this tribute and made this video. I have known the Gillham children for nearly 50 years. They are a wonderful family and have always been people I liked and trusted, both in and out of the Sea Org and scientology. Their father lived a full, accomplished and in many regards astonishing life, as they have documented below.
Peter F. Gillham
13 Nov 1927 – 6 Dec 2020
Sadly, Peter F. Gillham at the age of 93, passed away on Dec 6 at 6 pm.
If you wish to contact any of the family members you can reach out to Janis at janisgrady@aol.com, or Terri at terrigamboa@aol.com
I met Peter through his Scientology workshops in California. He was the one who taught me how to make a postulate and it forever changed my life. His approach and technique were very simple and easy to understand…and lots of fun, too!
I was very new to Scientology at that time and I remember thinking that this was just one of the things Scientologist were able to do. I was shocked and surprised when I later had a 2D who was an executive and had just returned from doing OT4 at FLAG and had no idea of how to make a postulate…even challenged my ability and made me prove I could do it.
What he taught me was pure magic and every success I have had in life stemmed from that single basic concept he imparted in his seminars…absolutely the best $50.00 I ever spent!
I was familiar with his nutritional success and yet, by reading this post, I can see he was so much more.
I hope Peter passed without discovering Nestle bought his company. Such a tragedy. Rest in Peace dear sir!
Yes, he did find out his old company was purchased by Clorox (not Nestle) which was something he never wanted to have happen.
I’m from Toronto Canada and back in the 1970’s I did two courses with Peter Gillham, one was “Tell It Like It Is” and the other was “The Fundamentals of Success”. Peter conducted these courses personally, so I had the pleasure of meeting him. To this day, I still use his product “Calm” and although the product is owned by another company, I still have a label from the original “Natural Calm” bottle with Peter’s name and picture on it, that I keep hanging on my vitamin shelf in my kitchen. Peter has definitely left a lasting impression on me.
Glad to hear he left such a good impression with you. If your interested, his old store in LA and website vites.com sell his version of calm which is now called Magnesium Supreme under the label of Peter Gillham’s Life Essentials – it even has his photo on it.
Thank you for sharing this lovely tribute with us. I recall back in the 70’s that my own father had great respect for your Dad.
Janis there is no doubt that you are your father’s daughter. How lovely to see the photos of your Dad with kids and grandkids. I even caught a glimpse of Doreen, may she rest in peace.
Both your parents were loved and beloved by those who knew them. It is so wonderful that your Dad had 93 years on this earth to share with us all and make a difference.
Blessings and prayers to the Gillham family.
I had no idea of the long influence Peter had. Reading Janis’ books and Steve Cannane’s book too, show how the Gillham’s changed how Scientology history played out.
Incredible tribute to Peter Gillham.
I attended a lecture in the late 60s, and was enchanted with Peter. Through the years, I had the pleasure of working with him several times. I was always aware of the love and care he had for his family, and how he perservered, staying true to his own principles. He was a man of integrity, and courage. I am proud to have met him. If there was any claim to “royalty” within our group, and anyone wanted to claim a stake, Peter would be one to claim a position.
Thanks for this fitting tribute.
My sincerest thanks for allowing us all to participate. I know he was well loved.
Many Blessings !
What a Class Act…
Much Respect
From an…
Old Timer from the 70s… ♥
SUCH a great guy. Hope I can make the Memorial service.PLEASE keep us updated on where/when.😄
Memorial service will be June 19 in Burbank. Let me know if you can attend – email me at janisgrady@aol.com
Beautiful tribute, photos, video and all the heartfelt posts here. What an inspiring person! I have the CALM drink on my shelf and now I know “the rest of the story.” Sending warm thoughts to the Gillham family. Like so many others here have stated, we are so glad Peter, Sr., made the choices he did and enjoyed wonderful times with his beautiful, talented, smart extended family! I might be inspired now to study judo.
Oh my! This tribute to Peter Gillham
Is truly fantastic!
I ~totally~ love the video, too. So many wonderful photos of Peter, Yvonne, the kids and later the whole
Family. Thank you, Peter, for ALL you have given to all of us.
May you fly high and dance with
The Angels. Blessings and love to your whole wonderful family! 🙂
I wrote this last night to
Janis…thank you for
Letting us know. Please pass on my love & condolences to your whole family.
Your Dad was a great man & it was an honor to know him since the 70’s. Thankfully you all got to spend years together. May he fly high. <3
Were his books some of the ones sold in org bookstores, before everything that didn’t have Hubbard’s name on the cover was purged? (those of course even those are not all actually authored by Hubbard)
Gillham sounds like one of those energetic and capable people who got drawn to Scientology in that idealistic, spiritually seeking era, who would have done well at whatever they took on or took part in. I’m glad to see that he finally got out, and got to enjoy his golden years with his family.
Yes, his books were sold in the orgs before the purge.
Thank you all for your incredible postings. Peter (our Dad) spent his whole life with an incredibly strong passion to help others, whether it was spiritual or physical he was all about making life better for those around him. Growing up as a kid we learnt that positive attitude from observing him or hearing his stories about rescuing some stranger from a fire, helping someone with an injury or stopping the local thug from bullying others when he was only 22 years old by using a swift Judo move. Dad was always there to help someone in life, that is what he lived for and that is what he was still doing up to the age of 93 years old when he passed away. He always had a winning and positive attitude and passed this on in his many stories of his life examples, it taught us to live with a very positive attitude and to pass that on to others. He was our rock and we will miss him greatly but we know one day he will join us again soon…
What a fantastic man Peter Gillham was. Certainly a household name and well known to all Scientologists. I’m so glad he got to reunite with his family and spend his last years in their loving company. Deepest condolences to the Gillham family and friends. Love and blessings to them all.
The whole Gillham clan seem to have inherited or learned AMAZING from Peter.
I’m at a loss for words, so I’ll leave it to Henry Van Dyke in The Parable of Immortality (below). Peter Gillham is a legend. I relished hearing his stories of dogs and horses — and the unique relationships he had with them… He lavished affection on my dogs — and they just loved him! For the GSD remaining at my side, I speak for us both…. We’ll dearly miss Peter.
However, as in the last sentence of this poem, I know of one German shepherd who will be overjoyed to reunite with him as he waits at The Rainbow Bridge, ready to take up the glad shout!
A Parable of Immortality
by Henry Van Dyke, (sometimes attributed to Victor Hugo).
I Am Standing Upon The Seashore
Beautiful poem by Henry Van Dyke, (sometimes attributed to Victor Hugo). A moving verse about death and the afterlife.
I am standing upon the seashore.
A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze
and starts for the blue ocean.
She is an object of beauty and strength,
and I stand and watch until at last she hangs
like a speck of white cloud
just where the sea and sky come down to mingle with each other.
Then someone at my side says,
” There she goes! ”
Gone where?
Gone from my sight . . . that is all.
She is just as large in mast and hull and spar
as she was when she left my side
and just as able to bear her load of living freight
to the place of destination.
Her diminished size is in me, not in her.
And just at the moment
when someone at my side says,
” There she goes! ”
there are other eyes watching her coming . . .
and other voices ready to take up the glad shout . . .
” Here she comes! “
Peter Gillham was on the A Team of Scn public. He was a class act, and a crowning example of how the church squandered away all of their best people. The COS used to have an impressive roster of loyal, productive members who knew how to get things done. Not only were they first class professionals, they typically were well trained in Scn tech and admin. It would take the world’s worst manager to lose such valuable team players. Well, that’s what the world’s worst manager did. All that’s left are mostly psychic cripples, delusional seekers, and phony glad-handing lackeys—a pathetic organization of useless drones that only the world’s worst manager could ever create. Gillham reminds us that there were once sparks of good that glowed faintly through the darkness.
Exactly so, Chris.
Hubbard chased off the best. DM chased off anyone above him in IQ.
True That, Chris!
Well said, Chris.
My deepest condolences to the family.What a lovely tribute to an honorable man.
What a beautiful tribute to your Father. Peter Gillham
May loving memories ease your loss and bring you peace, comfort and strength at this time. ❤ the Gillham family in Australia.
A loss truly felt worldwide, although we may hurt, the gratitude for his lessons and passion for life are an overwhelming presence and deep comfort, this day…. each and every day!
I’m trying to keep the tears away, but I just can’t do it. This was magnificent!
OSD. True. Same for me,
I’m glad we’re on the same team, LMR. Some times I can’t keep the tears away.
I never met Peter but he was practically a “household” name when I got into scientology in the 70’s. I am very glad he got out of it.
The various pictures of Peter with his children and grandchildren and great grandchildren are SO lovely – a demonstration of how great life can be when one gets out from its dictates. My heartfelt condolences to them.
Condolences to Peter’s family for their loss.
I’m so sorry for your loss. What a great man he was. I bought his products for decades and am thankful for the research he did to help us all. Loved the tribute and pictures you included. He really accomplished so much and loved you all so much.
Peter was an amazing man, I wasn’t aware of all the different things he accomplished, I love the photos and reading of his life thdbk you Janis for sharing –
My thoughts are with you , Terry and Peter jounior, fly hi Peter you helped so many people and made your mark the last 3 years, it seems like yesterday’ I was in your semiarv reading our book fundamentals os success
💜