Obituary of Peter Gifford

Peter Alan Gifford, 1934-2024

Died peacefully at home with his wife and best friend of 64 years, Marilyn, by his side. Peter was the proud father of John, Paul and Laura, and proud “Papa” of Carson, Emily, Katie, Mathew, Jake, Maggie, and Ameilia.

Peter was born on March 19, 1934 in Toronto and attended John Ross Robertson Public School until he moved to New Brunswick at age 12 to attend Rothsay School, where he graduated in 1950 with a scholarship to attend Royal Military College in Kingston. He graduated from RMC in 1955 and moved to Toronto to attend Osgood Hall Law School, graduating in 1959. That same year, Peter met Marilyn. They married in 1960 and moved to Guelph, where Peter joined Kearns-McKinnon, a small, local firm that shared his values. He practiced family and corporate law for 54 years, retiring at age 80. 

When asked what he liked most about being a lawyer, Peter said, “helping people solve their problems.” He was generous and honest and well liked.  He was often asked to be on boards of directors and to get behind community projects – like the new organ for St George’s Church, The Guelph Spring Festival, and The Riverrun Centre for the performing arts. It seemed to his children that their dad knew everyone in Guelph. They couldn’t walk anywhere with him quickly because people stopped them talk to him.

Waking from one place to another and seeing people along his way was Peter’s way of being. He walked to work every day across the Heffernan Street Footbridge over the Speed River past the Church and to his office on Douglas Street, aka “Layers Alley” – there were 4 law firms and the county court house on a 100-meter street. Lawyers would walk things to each others offices, and walk to and from the courthouse, and walk to have lunch. When asked how he got along with all those lawyers from competing firms, Peter said “Oh, well, if we didn’t get along, we wouldn’t be able to help our clients.”

In the days following Peter’s passing, the phone calls and emails poured in from people who knew him – his friends, his children’s friends, his clients, his law partners, his bridge partners, his golf partners, his neighbours, his doctor, his barber, and the funeral home director. And they shared variations on a theme: that they “loved” him, “really liked” him, “trusted” him, “relied on his counsel,” and “were honored to know him.”  They appreciated his honesty, his humility, and his humanity – his big, warm heart. He was this person to his very last breath.

It was his heart – worn out from 90 years of being big and warm – which finally gave out. And it was his heart – big and warm – that his children will remember. Their dad was always home from work before dinner to greet them with big war “bear hugs.” He even bear-hugged the dog—the legendary Tosca, aka “The Wonder Dog.”  Peter asked his children questions about their days and continually provided wise counsel as they navigated their lives. He thought about them a lot. He would often call them in the middle of the day for no particular reason – to say hello, to hear their voices.

In his final days, Peter talked about some of his favorite places – Georgian Bay (the Cedar-Point cottage he grew up at, family camp at YMCA Camp Kitchikewana on Beausoleil Island), The Beaver Valley (Talisman and The Kolapore Nordic ski trails), Stratford (family picnics by the river and then a play in the theatre). He said he’d like to go back to these places one more time. He dreamed of them. That is a way of going back.  

More than anything, he wanted to go home – not to a specific home, but to the to place where his family was. He wanted to have them around him, to know they were there, and to hear their voices. In the end, he was home, and they were there – he heard their voices.

A memorial service will be held at St. George’s Anglican Church in Guelph, on June 6 at 1:00 PM, with visitation at 12 noon and a reception after the service, both at the church. In lieu of flowers, please provide a donation to music at St George’s Church.