Peter died suddenly of cardiac arrest at age 48 on July 21, 2003. He was living in Jackson MS at the time following the acquisition of a family carbon brush business by a French company, Carbone of America. He is survived by a son Patrick and a daughter Heather, his mom Fran Laney, sister Marcia Zornow Ball and her family Bill Ball, Bradley & Devin, Lucas & Colin, Ted, Phillip and Esther Ball Babois & Matthijs. He was predeceased by his father George Zornow.