Peter Sale

On 25 November 2011, Bracebridge lost a colourful resident when Peter Anthony Sale died peacefully in South Muskoka Memorial Hospital while awaiting a room at The Pines. Born 22nd October, 1916, in Gillingham, Kent, this first son of Stanley and Margery Sale left school at 16, joined the British Army at 18, and shipped out to Egypt at 20 to join the Eighth Army in Cairo in 1936. In Egypt, he met Lily Colby, who had come from England as the nanny to the son of a British officer. They married in Cairo on 13 November 1939, and lived briefly in Alexandria, but by the following July the developing war threw Peter into the desert to alternately chase and be chased by Rommel and his forces, while Lily and other Army wives were moved to Palestine and on to South Africa. In an age without e-mail, cell phones, or Skype, near-daily letters numbered consecutively and mailed in batches as opportunity arose had to suffice. He and Lily did not see each other again until 1943 back in England. Approximately normal life resumed, and their first child was joined by three others - each born in a different country. Peter, Lily and their growing family emigrated to Canada in 1951, settling first in Toronto, then in Richmond Hill. Somehow, two relatively unschooled people made their home one of books, music, the arts and the sciences - to the great benefit of the children. Peter and Lily became seasonal residents of Muskoka in 1965 by building a tiny Viceroy cottage on Ril Lake, and permanent residents by expanding and winterizing in 1979. They then enjoyed 20 years of Muskoka living, mastering the art of not going to town when the road was impassable, nor opening the freezer door too often when Hydro was down. After 60 years of marriage and Lily's death in 1999, Peter remained initially on Ril Lake, but moved into his condo in Bracebridge in 2003. Predeceased by his younger brother Paul, Peter leaves two sisters, Margery (Pilcher) and Jillian (Walker), and their families in England; his children and three of their spouses, Peter F. (Donna), David (Susan), Freda (Bailey - Ira, d. 2008) and Michael (Tanya); grandchildren Margaret (Dennis), Jim, Darian, Kyle and Benjamin; and great grandchildren Lily and Isabelle. This tribe is scattered from Burlington to Toronto, Port Carling, the Ottawa region and Luxemburg. At Ril Lake, Peter enjoyed his daily swims, did the Muskoka loppet in his 70's, and completed the bicycle leg of the Ril Lake Triathlon at 80. Swimming continued in Bracebridge with weekly visits to the pool - one pet peeve was that the new Sportsplex was so far out of town and too far to walk to. During his final decade, Peter maximized enjoyment by undertaking numerous voyages. Trips to England, Europe and Australia while Lily was still alive (Lily was dragged through every cathedral and Roman ruin in the U.K.) were added to by trips to Egypt (for his 90th), to Italy (where he got lost in Pompei), to England yet again (via train to New York, ship to U.K. and plane to Toronto), to the Grand Canyon (because he had never seen it), and in July 2011, to Halifax by bus (because he wanted to see the ocean again). Peter A. Sale was proud to be Canadian, conscious that he was ‘really British', and accepting that he could never be a ‘real Muskokan' because he could not live here three generations. He failed completely to master the arts of fishing, hunting, or canoeing although he did worship at Canadian Tire and at Tim Hortons. People learned not to discuss gun control or hockey with him, but other topics were fair game. Ninety-five full years... still, if on a future snowy afternoon you should happen to see an old man walking up Manitoba Street, a bit bent over, with a limp and quite unruly hair, it could well be him, come back to run a few errands including a stop at the travel agent to talk about yet another great adventure. Following his wishes, Peter's body has been cremated and there will be no service. The family is planning a celebration of his life next spring. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to Amnesty International, South Muskoka Memorial Hospital, Canadian Cancer Society, or a charity of your choice. Messages of condolences via www.reynoldsfuneral.com.

Interment Details

Innisvale Crematorium