Peter Edward Wilson

Peter was born in Newcastle Upon Tyne and attended Gateshead Grammar School. Soccer was the important game in his neighbourhood as well as at school. He occasionally joined his father’s Lawn Bowling Team when they were short a player.

Before attending Loughborough College, he did his National Service and never stayed at any Base longer than 6 to 8 weeks as a soccer season ended. He was at West Kirby Liverpool, Western Super Mare, RAF Hampshire, RAF Debden, RAF Tern Hill Edinburgh, and RAF Shipley.

In September 1955 Peter attended Loughborough College. He always said that these were the best years and friendships that he enjoyed. Peter praised Loughborough as the best Physical Education institution and after working in Canada with Physical Education teachers he praised Loughborough for his better training!

Following graduation in 1958, Peter taught at Buttershaw Comprehensive School in Bradford until 1962. It was there that he became friends with Steve Allatt who was a qualified Soccer Referee for the English Leagues, and they played cricket together. Peter also played briefly for Leeds United and won three Red U.K. International Soccer Caps playing with Leeds.

In 1962 Peter moved to Dortmund Germany to teach for five years at a British Forces School. He played Rugby, tennis, badminton, soccer and was on a German soccer team and had to learn to communicate in German. He made many long-term friends of the British Teachers in Dortmund that lasted for years and many visiting in Canada. It was through a Canadian relative of one of the Dortmund teaching staff that Peter took a job in Duncan, British Columbia in 1967.

In 1972 Peter’s first marriage ended. His two children have remained in this area along with three grandchildren and four great grandsons who are young soccer players. Peter met a Nurse in Duncan from Nova Scotia and he & Joan had 53 happy years together. They have three children and four more grandchildren. He coached soccer & Girl’s Field Hockey at Cowichan Secondary School and winning a Provincial Girl’s field hockey title. One of his team members became the University of Victoria Ladies Field Hockey Coach. She played for Canada in the Pan American Games, and won many Canadian University Titles with her team.

Peter continued to play cricket for Cowichan in the Victoria League, played soccer for Cowichan and Victoria teams, briefly played Lawn Bowling and table tennis in Duncan, but tennis was his greatest pleasure. He belonged to the Cowichan Lawn Tennis Club for over 40 years. In September 2025 at almost 91 years old he still played twice a week and played his last game with much fanfare from all his younger mates. One of his tennis mates was Graham Hughes who was a Loughborough graduate in 1971 in Physical Education & History. Graham met a Canadian teacher from Saskatchewan and upon retiring from schools in Saskatoon they moved to the Arbutus Ridge Development nearby in 2009 and they became great friends.

Peter was nursed by Joan at home over three months and in the last week he agreed that it was time to check out. He smiled and said ‘It had been a Good Run’! His mates said that it is ‘Good Innings’… which is a Cricket term.

As Peter was slowly leaving us, we had all the very young great grandchildren here and helping them grieve. We discussed ‘Life’s Cycle’ and as an older person dies a new baby arrives. The following quote is one that we read them:

‘Perhaps they are not stars in the sky, but rather openings where our loved ones shine down to let us know they are happy!’