Obituary of Peter James Woolsey

December 6, 1956 - Kingston, Ontario

February 6, 2024 - Calgary, Alberta

Peter Woolsey, passed away on Tuesday, February 6, 2024 at the age of 67 years.

Peter was born in Kingston, ON, to Dorothy and Ivan Woolsey. His first word was “truck” but by all accounts, it sounded more like…Well, you know…This proved to be significant as he loved anything with a motor from day one. In his early teens, Pete’s Uncle Gordon was an important figure in his life and would often take him to a small engine shop where Pete would take apart engines and sweep the shop floor. This love and aptitude for machines was something Pete was well-known for and continued throughout his life as he restored, collected, and raced vintage motorcycles. We’ve started trying to count them all but keep losing count!

Even though he was the youngest to sister Nancy and brother Gordon, he was a natural leader in every aspect of his life; one of those good leaders. His immense presence, whether it was advice or leading by example will be a gaping hole in all of our lives. We will forever ask ourselves, What Would Pete Do?

At the age of fifteen, his adventurous, comedic spirit caught the attention of Jan Bowes. Using the now-classic Woolsey trait of teasing as a sign of affection, this was the beginning of a relationship that saw them embark on many adventures. Pete and Jan, together, were the life of any party they were at.

Pete was Jan’s best dance partner on the dance floor and in life. They were true partners who supported each other in every project each took on. From Pete’s successful career in the newspaper industry to his work at Nitehawk Year-round Adventure Park and Bear Creek Provincial Park, Pete was a man of many talents. Simply the best as Jan says. He was the best at enjoying every day at full throttle.

We (Carly, Cody, and Shaun) entered the picture in the ’80s and what can we say except for the fact that we know we had the coolest Dad ever. There are so many adventures we shared together as a family, too many to list.

Duncan (Carly’s husband) and Hayley (Cody’s wife) joined the party and were great additions to the team. Pete welcomed Duncan and Hayley with open arms and always treated them as one of his own. Shaun’s still looking but he does have a pretty sweet LEGO collection.

Pete taught us you can tell a lot about a person by the company they keep and by that measure he was great. His friends are quality characters, and they shared many great adventures together.

More recently, Pete took pride in his grandkids. When picking the name Gramps he said, “I don’t care what they call me as long as they call me.” And call they did. Whether it was mountain biking with Rafael, hiking in search of turtles with Sebastian, talking about space with Kelty or swimming with Malley, the grandkids ate up their moments with Gramps. We are so grateful that they had such a fun person in their lives but sad that their time with him feels too short.  

He was a truly special man, and we know the loss we feel is felt by the many people who knew and loved him. By Pete’s request, there is no formal celebration of life planned. Those that knew him know that he wouldn’t want us to honour him in any other way than to live life fully.

Pete faced his death and mortality as he did life, head-on. He died looking out the window and listening to music, enjoying this world until the very end.

Dogs always held a special place in Pete’s heart, particularly his last dog, Ted. Pete kept the tags of past furry companions on his mountain bike gear bag so that they were always riding him. If friends so desire, donations can be made in Pete’s memory to Rocky Mountain Animal Rescue, 2126 18A Street SW Calgary, AB, T2T 4W2,  https://www.rockymountainanimalrescue.com/.

Condolences, memories, and photos may be shared and viewed with Peter's family here.

In living memory of Peter Woolsey, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes, Crowfoot, 82 Crowfoot Circle NW, Calgary, AB T3G 2T3, Telephone: 403-241-0044.