Sanibel resident and artist, Peter B. Zell, passed away on March 23, 2026 with his wife, Carol, and daughters by his side. He had been ill for a year following a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. He was 78 years old.
Peter was born on October 3, 1947 in Riverside, California. He was the oldest child of Dr. Harry J. Zell and Mary Jane (Belzer) Zell. Growing up in San Gabriel, he attended Catholic schools, played Little League baseball, cheered for the L.A. Dodgers, and spent idyllic summers on Balboa Island. Peter graduated from La Salle High School and attended the University of Santa Clara, where he lettered in rugby and soccer and earned a degree in History. Following graduation, he joined the Marine Corps Reserves, and, when he wasn’t on weekend duty at Camp Pendleton, he studied law at the Loyola University School of Law in Los Angeles. He was awarded his Juris Doctor degree in 1973 and admitted to the California Bar that summer. Peter practiced law in Los Angeles and Orange Counties for 32 years. He was a respected civil defense litigator and trial attorney and a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA).
In 1977, Peter married Carol Ann Sleight. They raised their two daughters, Courtney and Kirsten, in the small city of Villa Park. Despite a busy schedule, Peter always set aside time for family vacations and his daughters’ school, scouting, and sports activities. He was an avid reader throughout his life. He enjoyed gardening, designing and creating landscapes, playing chess, and sculpting clay figurines he called “little guys.” Peter and Carol visited all 50 states and traveled to 68 countries, spending most summers abroad in retirement.
In 2005, Peter and Carol moved to tropical Florida. They had discovered Sanibel Island 15 years earlier while on a family trip to Disney World. They built a house near the beach, and Peter joined the Sanibel-Captiva Art League and BIG Arts. He devoted the next 21 years to painting and sculpting, and volunteering at F.I.S.H., BIG Arts, SCCF, and the Sanibel Historical Museum and Village. Mostly self-taught, Peter’s artistic style was distinctive. He described his art as expressionistic, with a touch of abstraction. His award-winning oil, acrylic and watercolor paintings were exhibited at galleries throughout Southwest Florida. Peter will be remembered at Thursday morning outings on Sanibel and Captiva, painting en plein air with fellow artists and leading the critiques after. He was a past-president of the Sanibel-Captiva Art League and served on the Visual Arts Committee at BIG Arts.
Peter will be laid to rest at Holy Sepulcher Cemetery overlooking Santiago Creek, in the foothills of Orange, California, among the oaks, sycamores and eucalyptus trees he loved. He is survived by his wife, Carol, and two daughters, Courtney Zell (Mike Scully) and Kirsten Zell. He also leaves four grandchildren, Caden Martin, Reid Martin, Gabriel Scully and Alma Scully, as well as a niece and nephew, Shelley and Jeffrey Kunath. He was predeceased by his parents and siblings, Libby, Gretchen and Gregory.
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