Peter George Rolland, 95, of Rye, New York, died peacefully while napping at his longtime home on July 26, 2025.
Born in 1930 in Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany to Curt and Lise Rolland, Peter’s family left for America in 1936. He graduated Metuchen High School as a less than stellar student before receiving a B.S. in Ornamental Horticulture from the National Agricultural College and a Master in Landscape Architecture from Harvard Graduate School of Design. He served in the U.S. Army and started his career in the offices of Hideo Sasaki, Perkins & Will and Lawrence Halprin.
In 1963, Peter opened his firm Peter G. Rolland & Associates, Site Planners and Landscape Architects, later Rolland/Towers, at the Arcade building on Purchase Street in Rye where he practiced for almost 40 years. Projects included the Australian Parliament House, Rockefeller Pocantico Hills Estate and SUNY Purchase. Peter received the Institute Honors for Collaborative Achievement from the American Institute of Architects, and his firm received the Award of Excellence from the American Society of Landscape Architects, among many honors.
Peter was a Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects, a Fellow of the American Academy in Rome and President of the Society of Fellows, an Academician of the National Academy of Design and Trustee of Delaware Valley College. He served Rye on the Architectural Board of Review and Landmarks Commission.
Peter encouraged, taught, and nurtured others, taking pride in their achievements. He was on faculty at Yale School of Architecture (1973-1994) and design critic at University of Virgina, Harvard, Cornell, and City College. Many talented landscape architects spent from a few years to their entire careers in the collaborative environment of Peter’s office.
Peter met his wife of 60 years, Wendy Altschul Rolland, an architect, while both were students at Harvard GSD. Together they designed their own home and garden, and enjoyed family, friends, art, architecture and strong opinions.
Peter will be deeply missed as a father, grandfather, brother, and friend. He will be remembered for his warmth, generosity and charm that built loyal, lifelong friends. He loved good company, travel, supervising his children pulling weeds, and lying in the sun.
Peter is predeceased by his wife Wendy and survived by his children David, Seth (Me’l) and Janna (Phil); grandchildren Ben, Milo and Cole; brother John (Froma); and sister-in-law Candace Altschul.
In his later years, Peter was a regular fixture at the window seats of June & Ho and Fogama where he enjoyed the hospitality, iced coffee and brownies, and waving to passing friends.
In lieu of flowers, please plant a tree.
