WILLIAMS, Peter

PETER WILLIAMS

Peter Williams, beloved father and grandfather, passed away on April 17th, 2020, at the age of 76, after a 5 year battle with Cancer. Peter was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England, where he worked as a journeyman carpenter and draftsman. He came to Toronto, Canada in 1965 and was hired by Gilbey Canada. In 1973, he was transferred to Lethbridge as the Bottling, Blending and Warehousing Manager at Palliser Distillers, now the Black Velvet Distilling Company. In 1990, Peter became the Plant Manager at Black Velvet, overseeing the installation of modern computerized stills. While living in Lethbridge, Peter was active in the community. He was a parishioner and sang in the choir at St. Patrick’s Church and was a member of the Knights of Columbus. He was active in the Lethbridge Rotary Club and the Chamber of Commerce. He also served on the Board of Governors at the University of Lethbridge. In later years he was also a member of the local Legion on Vancouver Island. Peter was transferred to Menlo Park, California in early 1999. During this period Peter was in charge of both the Menlo and Lethbridge production facilities. In the fall of 1999, he officially became the plant manager of the Menlo facility and he made the transition to the US. In 2002 he retired from Diageo Inc., came back to Canada and relocated to Vancouver Island. Island life treated him well. He enjoyed all of the activities and walking trails, still went swimming 3 times a week and rode his bike on regular occasions. He also enjoyed golfing, and spending time with his daughter, Emma and Grandson Joshua. They were the highlight of his life. He loved being a Dad and a Papa. Peter was a leader and mentor who inspired confidence. He was friendly and easy going, making friends wherever he went. Peter will be missed. A memorial service will be held for Peter at a later date. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Canadian Cancer society in his name.