[Note: This Eulogy was written by Ruth, Jonathan, Frances (Fanny) and Rita and was delivered at Peter's funeral by Ruth, his edest daughter.]
I want to thank everyone for coming today to honor Peter, my Dad, to celebrate his life and to support our family at this time.
Over the past 20 years, Dad has lived a gradual decline into the grip of Alzheimer's disease. But before the darkness of his disease descended, he took time to write some thoughts about his life. I would like to share some of his personal notes with you as well as some of the family's reflections so that you will have a better sense of the man he was.
Peter was born in Karachi, Pakistan in 1932 during the British rule of India, a very unique time in history. His mother was the daughter of a missionary pastor and his father was an officer in the British army. The family was posted to various troubled areas in India and so Peter was sent to Mount Herman boarding school in Darjeeling in the Himalayan foothills. This is what he wrote about that time period: "Attending boarding school for nine months each year for several years is an experience I would NOT care to relive! Yet even 50 years later I am still in contact with good friends who were my classmates then!" Like most young men of his day, Peter was intrigued with everything to do with airplanes thus at age 18 he was sent by boat to Bristol, England to begin an Aeronautical Engineering Apprenticeship with the Bristol Aeroplane Company.
Peter met Rita, a student nurse, at a chaperoned weekly young people's dance held at the local Catholic Church hall. He gave her a lift on his motorbike back to the nurses' residence so that she could make her curfew and as he returned to the dance hall Dad vividly recalls looking up to heaven and saying "Lord, that's the girl I want to marry." Rita and her family had also come to England from India just before India gained its independence. So Peter very quickly felt at home with her family. It wasn't long before the two were engaged.
Immediately upon completion of his apprenticeship, Peter emigrated to Canada with his best friend, Frank Grant and within a few weeks they had both gained employment at Canadair in Montreal working on the shop floor assembling aircraft. Peter already spoke English, Hindi, Nepalese and a bit of Urdu and now his coworkers attempted to teach him some broken and perhaps questionable French so that they could communicate! Meanwhile, Rita remained in England to write her final nursing exams. Many many letters were shared in that 6 month separation. Finally in January 1956 Rita left her family to join Pete in Canada. On February 18th they were married and started their new life together in a new world.
It wasn't long before Peter's apprenticeship training was recognized by management at Canadair (now Bombardier Limited) and he was transferred to the aeronautical design department. He continued working as a Mechanical Designer for the rest of his very fulfilling 38 year career. Among the number of planes he helped design you may have heard of the CL215 Water Bomber which is still used in fighting forest fires today.
In 1994 Dad took retirement because he started to exhibit early signs of Dementia which in 2005 was officially diagnosed as Alzheimer's Disease.
Peter writes:
"Coming to Canada in 1955 was one of my best decisions. It is a land of opportunity for the willing worker; a country filled with beauty and peace. It is home. Here I married my wife, Rita and we raised 3 wonderful children who in turn have married ideal partners and given us 13 grandchildren of whom we are very proud."
"My best memories are of the wonderful family times spent at Lake Macdonald in the Laurentians, watching the seasons come and go, and the children develop and mature. Surrounded by aunts, uncles, friends and pets, they learned to share, have fun, sing around a campfire, fish, respect their elders and each other."
Dad always had a strong connection to his roots. It was Dad's joy to make-welcome, befriend, and assist many newcomers to Montreal from the countries of his youth. In the early 60's, he and a number of these new friends formed the Indo-Pakistan Christian Association. This group provided practical support for families settling into life in Canada and it became a major part of our family's social circle.
Dad was also a hero to many neighborhood children and it was common to hear a knock on the door after supper and wee voices asking "Can Mr. Ghey come out to play?" A plea he could seldom resist; and so he was often front and center in a lively street hockey game much to the delight of all the youngsters including his son, Jon.
Looking back, Dad wrote: "If I could live my life over, I would not change the family I was born into, nor my profession which served me well, nor my wife and the family we raised." However, "I would have liked to have responded to God's call wholeheartedly at a much younger age and so have avoided many youthful mistakes." "I have tried to live my life according to God's Word which I first embraced at age 37. I have known the conviction of sin, God's loving forgiveness through repentance and the presence of His Holy Spirit in my life."
Peter was a faithful and serving member of his local church. Since moving to Ontario in 1988, he served two 3-year terms as a deacon here at Breadalbane Baptist Church and was very involved in the choir, a quartet (as a tenor) and leading the singing at the Sunday evening services. He gladly accompanied Pastor Bruce to lead singing during worship services at local hospitals and residences.
Although we had two Christian faiths (Baptist and Catholic) in our family we celebrated our common faith in Jesus, our Savior and Lord. Many joyful times were spent singing old hymns and newer praise songs together.
I read recently that the legacy we leave for the people who have known us finds it's fullness after we are gone. Such is definitely the case with Dad. In reminiscing over the past few days we have realized more fully just how much he shaped and changed our lives.
We thank you Dad for setting us such a wonderful example. From the dashing young heartthrob on the motorbike who swept Mum off her feet, to the loving, hardworking and devoted husband you became. You have been an awesome father and will continue to live on through us, your children and your children's children. We are all so very grateful to God that He gave you to us.
Peter, Dad, Papa … We love you.
