The End. These words were never penned by our father in his decades-long quest to write the Great Canadian Novel. Instead, his story came to an end on Monday, May 25th, when he slipped quietly into his own next chapter. Peter Campbell Martin, a proud Scot, and a prouder Canadian, was 87 and predeceased by siblings David and Nancy, to whom he was affectionately known as Peem. Charming and inquisitive, Peter could get in an elevator and know everyone’s story by the time you reached the lobby. A cricket bowler at Dollar Academy, he could throw a mean googly. He had a passion for fast cars and was an avid fan of Formula 1 racing.

An entrepreneur to his core, he settled in Montreal in the fifties and went from copywriting to opening his own advertising firm, with clients like Air Canada and Molson’s. Our childhood was filled with travel, rugby matches, the Expos, and Montreal Canadiens games. Summers meant driving up to Nominingue at breakneck speeds so we could then slow down and spend our days fishing at the rustic Kaneron Club. Our parents had a glorious set of friends and hosted regular poker and bridge nights, and many a wild party at their home in the Town of Mount Royal before Peter moved to Toronto in the seventies.

He founded Coroplast Ltd, importing the corrugated plastic sheeting used in indoor and outdoor signs across the continent. He later launched Telepanel Systems, (installed at Loblaws), an electronic labelling process that was so prescient, it was mentioned in Alvin Toffler’s The Third Wave.

Peter is survived by our mother, Johanna. He will be sadly missed by his beloved nieces and nephews, and their families. He was predeceased by his eldest son Michael (’09). Left to remember his outlandish stories, and his celebratory messages that spilled out onto the envelopes, are Jennifer (Robert Kepes), and Andrew, as well as Peter’s cherished grandchildren David (Lianna Baur) and Victoria Kepes, and Jayclyn (Andrew Westell) and Courtney Martin. They won’t miss his addiction to smelly cheeses, but will always remember their Poppa’s barbecued ribs, and special stash of candies just for them.

We are very grateful for the excellent care he received at Meighen Manor, who ministered to him so fondly as he faded away. Thank you to Marissa for her many visits. He will be cremated, as per his wishes, and a tribute to his life will be announced at a later date. An online book of condolences may be found at … Donations to the Salvation Army in his memory would be welcomed by the family, but feel free to simply raise a scotch and tell a joke. We’ll miss you Dad.

The End.