Cornelius Pieter de Vries ( " Peter or Kees" )

Passed away peacefully on September 12, 2019 in his 93rd year. Peter is survived by his wife and partner of 60 years. Trudy ( nee Kroon), his three children, Caroline ( Bela), John ( Cassandra), and Justin ( Nicola) and his six grandchildren, Henriette, Quincy, Hayley, Nikolas, Jacquelyn and Jessica. Peter is survived by two of his brothers, Karel ( the Netherlands) and Han ( France) and numerous nieces and nephews. Peter was born, as he liked to say, above sea level in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. He was 13 when the Nazis invaded the Netherlands and spent the next five years making life as difficult as he could for the Nazis, including leading a school protest that resulted in his permanent suspension from school. After the war, he finished off his Schooling in Switzerland before immigrating to Canada in 1951. He caught a ride on a re-fitted Liberty Ship and found himself iced-in in St. John's harbour before making his way to Montreal (it was a cold start to what would be a warm welcome from his adopted country). Peter liked to consider himself a "late-day pioneer" and took full advantage of the many opportunities a young country offered. He lived in Montreal, Grandview, Bathurst and Vancouver before settling in Toronto where he met his future bride, Trudy, a young nurse ( herself a recent immigrant from the Netherlands) in the Dutch delicatessen. Peter was a generous man, with a sparkling sense of humour and wit. His strict Calvinist upbringing served him well, as he worked hard and strove to get ahead. He was a successful businessman who was generous to his employess and his community. He put his family first and enjoyed spending time at the cottage on Georgian Bay for five decades. He lived by his motto, which he repeated often, that a " life of moderation" was the key to a successful and happy one. He led a varied and full life and his sunny, optimistic disposition served him well. May he rest in peace. Special thanks to Anabelle Ganal and Val Fernandez for their wonderful care, as well as the staff at Sunnybrook Hospital.
A Memorial Service and Celebration of Life for Peter will be held at Timothy Eaton Memorial Church on Wednesday September 18, 2019 at 11am. A reception will be held at the church following the service.
( Timothy Eaton is located at St. Clair and Avenue Road. ) Parking is available and the church can be accessed by the St. Clair streetcar.

Donations in his memory can be sent to the Fred Victor Mission or the City of Toronto Tree Foundation.