Former Waste Management Director Peter Huizenga has Died

Peter Huizenga, former director of Waste Management, died at age 79 on May 2 of cancer. His death comes shortly after the death of his cousin Wayne Huizenga, founder of Waste Management, who died at age 80 on March 22 after succumbing to "a decades-long battle with cancer."

Growing up, Peter worked on a garbage truck and attended Hope College in Michigan and the University of Illinois Law school. He practiced law for a while before joining the family business, Waste Management. At Waste Management, he served as a director for 30 years, held various officer roles and helped the company go public in 1972.

In addition to helping grow Waste Management, Peter was an early investor in Blockbuster Video and other businesses. He was also active with Big Shoulders Fund, Timothy Christian Schools, Christ Church of Oak Brook, Trinity Christian College, Elim Christian Services, Hope College, Boy Scouts of America and other organizations.

Crain’s Chicago Business has more:

Peter Huizenga, who with his cousin Wayne helped build Waste Management into a garbage-hauling juggernaut and then managed the family fortune and other people's money as chairman of Huizenga Capital Management in Oak Brook, died May 2 of cancer at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove. He was 79.

Wayne Huizenga died, at 80, in March.

For Wayne's obituary, Peter told Crain's that the two had attended Hope College in Michigan together after growing up outside Chicago in an extended family of garbage haulers. During summers as an adolescent, Peter Huizenga worked on a garbage truck daily from 2 a.m. to noon.

Wayne dropped out of college, and Peter graduated, moving on to the University of Illinois Law school. He practiced law before joining the family business, which evolved into Waste Management, in 1968. He helped take the company public in 1972 and served as a director for 30 years.

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