PEETER HANS KOPVILLEM 1954 - 2016

Peeter wanted to play one last gig, record one more song, write one more story, discuss yet an-other issue. Perhaps even try to go on one last road trip. He wanted desperately to stay with his family, with his wife and daughters. But the brutal disease that caught him five years ago won in the end. Peeter passed away at home as he wished on May 10, 2016.

Peeter was born August 19, 1954 in Montreal to Estonian immigrants Olaf and Nelda Kopvillem. He was immersed in the Estonian culture and language, participating in folk dancing, singing and community activities. Much of that time was spent in the woods not far from Montreal where many Estonians summered and the children were free to explore and learn about the faraway land of their parents occupied for many decades by the Soviet Union.

He taught himself to play the guitar and many other instruments at an early age. His extraordi-nary musical abilities were enhanced by his wicked wit and intellect. When his family moved to Ontario, Peeter started writing his own songs and performed in both Canadian and Estonian communities.

After studying history at McMaster University in Hamilton, Peeter entered the publishing field, joining Maclean’s as an assistant editor in 1984, remaining there for almost 30 years. He loved the magazine, the people and the opportunity to make some kind of difference in the world. He took a break from Maclean’s from 1993 to 1995 when he was invited to join Radio Free Europe as Director of the Estonian division in Munich, Germany. It was a chance to continue his lifelong dedication to democracy, free speech and social justice. In February 2016 the President of Estonia bestowed the Order of the White Star, V Class on Peeter for his outstanding work as a journalist and musician. Peeter was a journalist, an editor, a musician and a kind and generous person. He loved to tell stories. He could make you laugh until you cried. He was unconventional in a peculiarly conventional way.

We are grateful to the Lung Transplant team at Toronto General Hospital and will continue to work with them to make the post transplant care better for people like Peeter whose outcome was not successful. We are especially grateful to Dr. Susan Abbey and Dr. Kirsten Wentlandt who were our guardian angels and advocates. Despite the outcome, our family is deeply ap-preciative of the lung transplant that granted us four extra years with him.

Peeter will be greatly missed by his mother Nelda. He adored and was so proud of his sister Katrin Kopvillem and her children Andrus, Kaili and Toivo. He also leaves behind his cousin Reet Ruubel and her family in Estonia. Peeter’s love for his daughters Leiki Kopvillem and Keila Kopvillem was profound and unwavering. His death leaves us with a deep and aching void. His beloved wife Eva Varangu was the yin to his yang, soulmates and inseparable to the end.

Funeral service will be on Saturday May 21st at St. Peter’s Estonian Lutheran Church, 817 Mt. Pleasant Rd at 3pm. Reception and memorial to follow 5 - 9pm at Mount Pleasant Cemetery Funeral Centre, 375 Mt Pleasant Rd. in Toronto. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, do-nations in support of either Estonian Foundation of Canada www.estonianfoundation.ca (416.465.5600) or in support of the Lung Transplant and Palliative Care programs at Toronto General Hospital www.tgwhf.ca (416.603.6278) would be appreciated.