December 5, 1928 - December 13, 2021
In loving memory ~
"Every man's life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another."
- Ernest Hemmingway
On December 13th, 2021, Peter (son of the late John and Elizabeth Hall of Vancouver) passed away leaving behind his children Donald (Kathryn), Robin (Francis) and Timothy (Shari) and grandchildren Skye & Kivrin Dore-Hall, Michael & Jason Hall, Madeline Hall. Peter's loving wife, Frances Hall (Godkin) predeceased him in 2015.
B.C. born, Peter grew up in West Vancouver. As a youth, he helped raise his sister Marguerite from infancy after his mother passed away when he was 14 years old. From a young age, the seeds of commitment and dedication to family were born - a characteristic quality which would follow him for the rest of his life.
Peter loved to play baseball at school and was a fan of the NY Yankees and the Vancouver Capilanos of the Western International League. As a young man, he could be seen with friends as a regular at the Tomahawk Restaurant in North Vancouver on Saturdays. Following high school graduation, Peter volunteered as a Junior Forest Warden, a volunteer-led organization focused on developing a wild lands ethic in youth and where he discovered his love for B.C.
Peter was successful in all he did. After graduating from West Vancouver High School, he earned a degree in Forestry at UBC, then married Frances (1954), a nurse at VGH who had moved from Kingston, ON. They remained married for 61 years until she passed away. Together they bought a home in West Vancouver and raised three children who all grew up to be good family men. His hard work and strong work ethic helped him climb the company ladder (the "Peter Principle" he referred to the process) becoming vice-president and then president of a medium-sized Vancouver-based forestry company owned by Balfour Guthrie of England).
During the recession years of the 1980s under his leadership, his company was one of very few companies in the Balfour Guthrie portfolio which made any profit. Retirement (1989) saw Peter travel to China for 3 weeks, something he always wanted to do.
Other travels saw Peter and Frances to England, Scotland, Germany, a cruise on the Danube River, several trips to Kingston, ON, to visit the Godkin relatives, Alaskan Cruises with friends and multiple travels throughout B.C. One of his passions was for train locomotives. Train trips included a family trip to Banff, the Royal Hudson to Squamish and Churchill Manitoba.
Retirement also saw Peter volunteer at the West Vancouver Historical Society, attend classes at UBC, spend time with grandchildren, and pursue his interests in geo-political discussions, reading and crossword puzzles to keep his mind sharp (with a scotch in hand - single malt whiskies preferred) during happy hour every afternoon at 4:30. And mom with her customary gin and tonic.
Peter was a kind and decent man who never wavered in his commitment to his family and was well-liked and respected by those who knew him. He was looked up to, loved and highly respected by his sons, daughters-in-law and grandchildren.
Peter was put to rest next to mom at Capilano View Cemetary by his loving family.
A life well lived.