Peter Douglas Abbott

He is survived by his wife Colleen and his children Simon and Rachel, as well as his brothers Michael and Jamie, and his sister Sandra. He also is survived by many, many in-laws and nieces and nephews. He was pre-deceased by his parents George and Teddy, as well as his sister Barbara and brothers David and Stephen.

Peter was born in Owen Sound. When he was 5 years old, the family moved to Selkirk on Lake Erie, where the Abbotts were very active in the local community for many years. Peter was known for his singing voice as a teenager, performing solos, and participating in trios, musical theatre and other groups.

The Abbott family was very engaged in the United Church of Canada. Peter’s mother was the Church organist in Selkirk and his father was a lay preacher and a passionate, out-spoken advocate for social justice. Peter had fond childhood memories of participating in family programs at the Five Oaks Retreat Centre in Paris Ontario, a place that would have further significance for him in his adult years at the annual Men’s Retreat, also attended by friends Rev Tim Dayfoot and Rev Warren Schell.

Peter and Colleen met through their work serving public libraries. They married in 1983 and raised their family in Aurora. They were involved in the community, supporting their children’s pursuits, mostly in music and sports. Peter proudly shared his home-made beer, bread, quiche, and sausages. Along the way he found time to pursue his love of flying his two-seater aircraft and competing in distance riding events with his horse Countess Kalli.

At Aurora United Church, Peter was a passionate youth leader and supporter of outreach, social justice, and inclusivity initiatives at the local and regional level. His greatest passion was for Inter-faith Dialogue. He truly believed that dialogue between faith communities would deepen understanding and acceptance of each other’s cultures and religious beliefs. What a world that would be! He cherished his work with the National United Church World Outreach Division, and was honoured to attend the World Council of Churches on several occasions.

Peter was deeply loved by family and friends, near and far. He was an exuberant, intelligent, caring, and humorous man who will not be forgotten. Heartfelt thanks are extended to the Care and Medical staff on G2 at Agecare Aurora. Their care for Peter over the past 8 years has been exceptional. And we thank the many others who supported him over the years as well. So many happy memories of outings together.

Cremation has taken place. Interment will take place later in the spring.

In lieu of flowers or other gifts, memorial donations would be appreciated by either:

Alzheimer Society of York Region https://alzheimer.ca/york/en or

Aurora United Church Rising from the Ashes Campaign https://www.auroraunitedchurch.ca