Eathorne,
Peter David
September 18, 1946 - June 17, 2011
With heavy hearts and profound sadness, we announce the passing of Peter David Eathorne. Peter left us suddenly at 5:30 am on June 17, 2011 at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital. Peter will be remembered as a wonderfully devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend whose zest for life was felt deeply by those around him. His family and friends will always treasure his caring and generous spirit, sharp wit and genuine kindness that he shared with everyone he met. Peter is predeceased by his parents Nancy and Donald and his father-in-law, Matthias. He will be greatly missed by Donna, his wife of 33 years, son Ryan (Alison), daughter Lindsey Jones (Stuart), infant granddaughter Avery May Jones, siblings Bevan (Judy), Pamela Slight (David), Mary Fowler (Martin) and Michael (Sue), mother-in-law Elsie, his adoring nieces and nephews, and his large extended family.
Peter was born and raised in Nelson, New Zealand and immigrated to Prince Rupert in 1974, where Bevan and Judy were living. Shortly after, he moved to Calgary and met Donna Hagel of Kelowna. They were married in Kelowna in 1978 and welcomed Ryan in 1979. The family moved to Nanaimo in 1980 and Lindsey arrived in 1981. Peter’s children will remember him most fondly as a dedicated father who cheered from the sidelines at all of their sporting events and warmly welcomed their friends into his home. Ryan and Lindsey would always count on their dad when they needed him and will both miss the frequent walks they took with Peter and their dogs. Peter was in love with his granddaughter, Avery, and relished every moment they spent together during her first five weeks.
Peter had a deep love for both New Zealand and Canada and was in the process of applying for his Canadian citizenship. His life’s greatest passion, after family, was rugby, which he began playing as a young boy and later passed on to Ryan. As a member of the Nanaimo Hornets Rugby Club for over 30 years, Peter dearly cherished the many wonderful friendships that he developed there. Some of Peter’s happiest times were spent playing on the rugby pitch and socializing with his mates in the clubhouse. Travel was another great love of Peter’s; he was a tour guide in Europe in his 20s and his career as a travel agent took him around the world.
Donna, Ryan and Lindsey would like to extend their sincere thanks to the attentive and compassionate staff at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit, along with his oncologist, Dr. Most.
A service will be held at 2:00 pm on Saturday, June 25, 2011 at St. Peter’s Church (301 Machleary Street, Nanaimo), followed by a celebration of life at 4:00 pm at the Nanaimo Hornets Rugby Club (6700 Dover Road, Lantzville). The family ask that those involved in rugby wear a rugby shirt from the club of their choosing.