On Tuesday the 7th of July, Peter Kilby passed away quietly in his sleep at 86 years of age. He is survived by his loving wife Barbara Kilby (Stobbs) who he shared 64 years of marriage; and his children Acton Kilby and wife Margaret Kilby, Elizabeth Spencer (Kilby) and husband Doug Stangeland, as well as grandchildren David, Thomas and Mary. He is survived by one of his siblings, Mrs Margaret Robertson (Kilby) of Prince George, BC and pre-deceased by his Brothers Gordon and Thomas Acton Kilby. All of those who remain are heartbroken at the loss of a partner, sibling, father, grandfather and friend.
Born at a young age (as he would say) in Vancouver BC, Peter started his life on the Kilby Family Farm in Harrison Mills, BC. He spent his early years chasing cows, riding horses and setting the stage for a life of adventure, dedication and education. As he moved on from Harrison Mills to attend Normal School and University, he carried with him a sense of commitment and devotion that would guide him through his many life choices. After completing his teaching certification, Peter taught for a short period in Vancouver, BC, and soon realized that in order to make himself complete he needed to marry Barbara Stobbs. They wed in 1956 and seldom spent any time apart from each other from that moment onward.
In 1959, he decided to join the Regular Army as a Signals Officer. He and Barbara packed everything up in their little car (a Morris Minor) and moved out to Kingston, Ontario. Following initial training, Peter and Barbara moved to London, Ontario where he served as a Signals Officer with the Royal Canadian Regiment. In 1962 Acton joined them, and shortly afterward they made the decision to return to BC. Peter released from the Regular Army and accepted a teaching position in Vancouver. They packed up themselves and Acton into a small MG sports car, and travelled back to BC. By 1964 they were back in Vancouver and Peter was teaching at a series of schools in the Greater Vancouver area. In 1965, Elizabeth appeared on the scene and the family was complete. Living in Coquitlam while Peter taught and took a sabbatical from teaching to complete a Masters Degree in History at Simon Fraser University. In 1970, Vancouver proved to be a city of challenges and change, Peter and Barbara sought an adjustment, and after several options were examined, they found themselves in Salmon Arm.
Life in Salmon Arm provided a wealth of experiences for Peter that included him being a Teacher, Vice-Principle and Principle within the School District. As a teacher he touched the lives of thousands of children, and up until his last days, many of them would make a point of visiting him or crossing the street to say hello and thank him for how he shaped their lives.
He was a dedicated Militia soldier, serving as a part time soldier with the Rocky Mountain Rangers then on to become the Militia Area Commander for all of British Columbia. His influence while commanding the Reserve forces in BC set conditions for organizational and procedural changes which were taken on by the Canadian Army as the model for all Reserve areas throughout Canada.
Following his retirement from teaching, Peter became an active volunteer with the region’s emergency management services assisting with emergency preparedness and response, and helping the region to develop better mechanisms to manage responses to both routine and significant emergencies. His personal efforts were most significant during Salmon Arms wildfires in 1998. As the fires threatened so many of the citizens, his support to the response effort ensured that resources were effectively managed and plans developed that reduced the overall impact of the fires and more broadly benefitted the greater community.
In early 2000, Peter decided that retirement should actually be retirement. This meant he increased activity with Rotary, Probus and other community groups. In addition, Barbara and he commenced a series of global travels that would make most people’s heads spin. They embraced retirement at full-speed. His active participation in the community good continued until the impact of his Parkinson’s disease prevented active support. Parkinson’s created significant challenges for Peter later in life. The onset of this unforgiving illness created conditions which significantly impacted on his mobility. Although physically impaired by the disease, he maintain a remarkable sense of humour and was always interesting and engaging to chat with.
Adventurous, compassionate, loving and welcoming are the words which come immediately to mind when remembering Peter. The memories etched in our minds are that of a leader, teacher, mentor and loving man. He enjoyed a life-well-lived. Making every effort to ensure that those around him were made to feel a part of anything he was involved in, and that it was done in a way that all voices were given an equal hearing.
Barbara, Acton and Elizabeth would like to specifically recognize Dr. Chris Weicker for the outstanding medical care and kind support provided to Peter, and the staff at Shuswap Lodge and at Mount Ida Mews for the most excellent and loving care they provided to Peter. They are the exemplary standard by which doctors and other assisted living and complex care facilities should be measured.
We also must highlight our immense gratitude to our cousin Marion Kilby for all that she has done for both Barbara and Peter. Her unwavering support and dedication to them has made everyone’s lives better and was central to the great quality of life Peter enjoyed. She has been an Angel and there are no words we can offer that would appropriately express our gratitude.
As Peter would have remarked; “It isn’t about the end, but the journey that got you there, that matters most.” His journey was remarkable.
Peter will be cremated and his ashes scattered at a later date. Due to the current COVID situation, the family has decided that a memorial service will be held at a later date. Once known, information will be provided in order to ensure all those wishing to share stories and remember his life may be included. In lieu of flowers or gifts we ask that donations be made in his name to the charity Marion Kilby volunteers at which is the North Okanagan - Shuswap Brain Injury Society (NOSBIS) at http://nosbis.ca the ‘Donate Today’ button is at the top of the page.
