William (Bill) Newell Peters

Bill was born on February 6, 1949 in Victoria, B.C. to William Edmund and Aileen Iris. On July 15, 1978, Bill married Terese (Terry), his lifelong partner, in Mill Bay, B.C. They shared 52 beautiful years and built a wonderful life together in Mill Bay and Lake Cowichan raising their family.

Bill began his career working for his father (and later, Sandor Horvath) at the Bayview Building Supply in Mill Bay. The skills he learned under the guidance of his father served him well when in 1978 he purchased, and then operated, the Lake Cowichan Home Centre with his brother, Rod Peters. Bill was known for his quick wit and clever quips and found great amusement dreaming up various sayings and riddles to post on the Home Centre reader board.

Giving back to the community was a meaningful part of Bill’s life. He volunteered with both the Mill Bay and Lake Cowichan fire departments for a total of 47 years and was known around the station as “Hair Bear” given his refusal to shave his beard to fit his air pack. Bill also volunteered for the KAATZA Museum, as a coach for his son Travis’ little league baseball team alongside his son Colin, and was a director on the Arena Commission Committee.

Outside of work and volunteering, Bill loved travelling and camping. Bill and Terry made many memories travelling together in their motor home across Vancouver Island, to Haida Gwaii, the Yukon, Alaska, and the Oregon Coast. Every summer the family would go camping on Hornby Island where Bill would spend hours perfecting his annual sandcastle.

Bill was an avid curler and enjoyed many hours at the hockey rink or baseball field watching Travis’ games. He was also a talented wood worker and over the years created many beautiful pieces of rustic wooden furniture. He was also passionate about his yard work, especially raking leaves in the fall.

On most days, you could find Bill at the kitchen table completing the daily crossword in the Times Colonist or working on the Wordle. He completed 1,281 Wordle games, and Travis will miss his daily emails reporting his Wordle score. On Wednesdays, you could find Bill at Jake’s having a burger and a beer with his best buddies.

Bill is survived by his lifelong partner, Terry, his sons Colin and Travis (Laura), his grandchildren Banks and Kit, his siblings Rod Peters, Maureen Fielden (Richard) and Joan Hieta (Ray). He is predeceased by his son William Gavin Peters.

A celebration of life will be held on March 14, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. at the Lake Cowichan Fire Hall.