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Peter Quinn
September 26, 1932 - November 5, 2015
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<div itemprop="description">Peter passed away peacefully in the early hours last Thursday at the age of 83, with family by his side. <br /> <br />He is survived by his loving wife of nearly 60 years, Isabelle Mavis (n&eacute;e Yeudall); siblings Theresa (Ben), Patricia (Mel), and Richard (Lynda); children James, Jeff (Jody) and Danna (Curt), 9 grandchildren (David, Deirdre, Amanda, James, Valerie, William, Shaun, Logan and Jonika) and four great grandchildren (Bradley, Marissa, Ethan and Wynter). Peter is predeceased by siblings Msgr. Alban Quinn, John, Olive, Mary, Francis, Elizabeth, and Patrick; as well as his granddaughter Kirsti. <br /> <br />Peter was born and raised in Toronto. He would abandon school in his teen years in order to help support their large family. Peter shared fond memories throughout his life of sibling antics in those formative years, and many a summer visit to see family on the Bay of Quinte. <br /> <br />Peter, ever the hat lover, proved to be a man who wore many. He heeded his inner vagabond's call to &quot;go west, young man&quot; at age 19 and with whatever belongings could fit in his friend's car, drove west to Edmonton, Alberta, which is where he decided to hang his hat. He lucked into a room and board stint with the Leaf family in north Edmonton, and soon thereafter, had occasion to meet lifelong friend Harold Nixon. Harold contrived to set him up on a blind date with a co-worker of his girlfriend and later wife, Iris, which is how Peter came to meet and fall in love with Mavis. Peter and Mavis courted for a couple of years, before officially tying the knot on a cold late January day in 1956. They would enjoy more than 60 years together as a couple. <br /> <br />Shortly after arriving in Edmonton, Peter began working at Palm Dairies in the transport department. Thus began the milkman jokes, which never really ceased through the years. Peter continued at the dairy for close to 25 years before deciding to try his hand at entrepeneurship. <br /> <br />The 60s and 70s would see Peter and Mavis moving from place to place, eventually migrating east of town to Sherwood Park and eventually, the acreage slightly north of Half Moon Lake. A tragic fire in January 1970 claimed their old house and its contents, but would see the community rally around the family in support. They later rebuilt on the same spot and enjoyed many years commuting into Edmonton for work and moonlighting as weekend equine enthusiasts. <br /> <br />In 1975, Peter and Mavis purchased a Big Scoop fast food franchise in the Ottewell Plaza shopping centre in south Edmonton, and relocated to the same neighborhood. Quinn's Burger Palace was, thus, officially born and would prove to be a concept decades ahead of today's modern deluxe gourmet burger and creative ice cream sundae popularity. While the burgers were indeed amazing, the underlying business success was in how became a place that fostered a unique coffee klatch community of friends and neighbours who gathered together daily to swap stories, share laughs and mesh lives. <br /> <br />In the early 80s, Peter also began a short-stint with courier mail and package operations, owning and managing Schooner Express deliveries throughout the south Edmonton environs. 1983 would see Peter and Mavis retire to Victoria, British Columbia, where Peter enjoyed many years as their resident apartment management near Beacon Hill Park. Peter and Mavis would eventually settle in the western community of Langford before Peter's fall and recovery complications following his resulting hip surgery in October 2014 led him to the long-term care facility at The Gorge Hospital. COPD and the perfect storm of failing heart, lungs and kidneys would cause his strength and will to live to &quot;peter&quot; out in the end. <br /> <br />Music aficionado, RV owner and traveller, part-time rancher/wannabe Marlboro Man, Inspector Gadget/obsessive tinkerer, milkman, dutiful delivery dude, Arabian and Palamino horse lover, entrepreneur, son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather and amiable friend ~ these are but just some of the hats we wore in his never-ending quest to follow where his curiosities and wanderings led him. But let record state that he was a proud Irishman to the end: Peter's final request during his penultimate palliative care days was for a tiny taste of scotch one last time. <br /> <br />The family is especially appreciative of the compassionate care and support extended to Peter by the Arbutus View nursing/support care team at The Gorge Hospital throughout 2015. <br /> <br />A family graveside service was held on Monday, November 9 at Hatley Memorial Gardens in Colwood. <br /> <br />A Celebration of Life service is planned for Sunday, January 3, 2016 from 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm in the 4th Floor Lounge at the Alexander Mackie Retirement Community at 753 Station Avenue in Langford, BC. <br /> <br />In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his name to The Kidney Foundation of Canada via: www.kidney.ca.</div>