Dr. Frederick Gordon Peet passed away on Wednesday morning, February 5, 2014 after an 8-year courageous battle with cancer. He was born on October 3, 1942 in Vancouver, B.C. to parents Doris and Frederick James. As a boy, Fred worked weekends and summers at his father’s welding shop and on the family farm, and later as a swamper and sampler in mining camps in the North West Territories. This latter job involved a number of harrowing experiences as the first person to enter the mine after blasting.
In the fall of 1960, Fred left to study Theoretical Physics at the University of Saskatchewan, and worked summer jobs at the Defence Research Board where he learned computer programming. After his B.Sc., Fred won a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship to study at Columbia University in New York. Columbia had no less than 5 Nobel Prize winners in their Physics Department at this time, and Fred was humbled to study in the presence of intellectual giants such as T.D. Lee, Polykarp Kusch and his own advisor Leon Lederman. After completing his M.Sc., he studied mathematics at the University of Saskatchewan and then went on to UBC, where he was awarded a Ph.D. for research into gravitation and particle physics in 1971. During this time he met his future wife, Josephine (Yosefa), whom he married on September 30, 1972.
Fred went on to a Post-doc at the Max Planck Institute for Physics in Germany. Among his favorite memories was being asked by 1932 Nobel Prize winner Prof. Dr. Werner Heisenberg to pen “a nice 80th birthday greeting in nice English” to 1935 Nobel Prize winner Sir James Chadwick. In 1973 he took a position as Project Leader of Canada’s first international remote sensing application project at the Canada Centre for Remote Sensing. During this time he developed more accurate methods for the classification of agricultural fields, introduced original methods for the geometric correction of remotely sensed images, and for the first time incorporated geographic information in an imaging system for remotely sensed data. Following this he was employed as a research scientist at the Forest Management Research Institute where he developed the first minicomputer-based image processing system for remotely sensed data. He was subsequently appointed to Chief of Applied Science in the Department of Public Works in Ottawa. Fred and Josephine moved west to Victoria in 1980 where Fred initially worked as Head, Forest Resource Systems at the Pacific Forestry Centre (PFC). He started his own business (EIDETIC Digital Imaging Ltd.) which was eventually connected to the Earth Observation Satellite Company (EOSAT). Most recently he was involved with the Forest Pathology group at the PFC, where he developed a simulation model for predicting the spread of forest tree root diseases.
Despite an extensive scientific career, Fred still found time to visit every province and territory in Canada and drive across the country in both directions as well as to the end of the road at Inuvik on the way to the Arctic Ocean. He loved meeting new people and seeing new places, which led to studies in Latin, Russian, German, and French.
Over the years Fred also worked tirelessly, and succeeded, in re-uniting his mother-in-law with her lost daughter and her family, from which she had been tragically separated by the Iron Curtain following World War II.
In the latter stages of his career, Fred was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer which necessitated periodic trips to Ontario for treatment. Instead of slowing him down, he devoted his time and scientific knowledge to getting the equivalent clinic established in B.C.
Fred leaves behind his devoted wife Josephine and her extended family, siblings Bee (Henry), Bill (Josie), Dorothy and Dave (Laurette), as well as nieces and nephews in B.C., Alberta and Saskatchewan. He will be remembered for his scientific innovations and achievements, his dogged determination to fight injustices, his unwavering friendship, as well as his keen intellect. May he rest in peace.
A memorial service will be held on Monday, February 17th at 11:00 a.m. at McCall’s Downtown, Johnson & Vancouver Streets in Victoria, B.C. Reception and interment to follow. Condolences may be offered to the family below.
McCall Bros. Funeral Home
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Alan Thomson
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Bob Ryerson Josephine:
I am sorry to hear (belatedly) of your loss. It seems like only yesterday that we were young scientists too dumb to know that what we were doing couldn’t be done…but we managed to do it anyway! I must say that the photo of him that was posted certainly showed the smile, sparkle and energy he brought to what he did. I last saw that sparkle when Fred and I had a wonderful conversation some years back at the PFRC. The world has been a better and more interesting place because of Fred.
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Jonas Ronnberg Wish I could have seen you one more time. Wish I could have seen your warm smile one more time. Wish I could have looked into those friendly eyes one more time. I wish I could have had some more discussions about things in life. Wish I would have said some more of all the things one think will get said later. I wish this day would have come later.
Few people care as much as you have done. Life will be empty without you! You will always have a special place in heart. Lots of good and unique memories. Who would have known that meeting in Poland would evolve into this friendship, a day in August 10 years ago.
It is also a pity that no one is going to teach little Erik how to drive a tractor now, at least not a John Deer.
I hope you are in less pain now!
Your friend and colleague from Sweden,
Jonas (Michelles husband)
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Sylvia Alers I was very sorry to hear of Fred’s passing.
I also had the privilege of working with Fred at the Pacific Forestry Centre on several interesting projects earlier in my career there, and more recently, Fred spoke at my retirement event.
In sincere sympathy,
Sylvia Alers
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David + Ellen Niven Condolences to Josephine and family.
Fred was a fine neighbour and always available for a word as he and Josephine passed by on their frequent walks.
The neighbourhood will miss a fine gentleman. Rest in peace Fred.
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Michelle Cleary I first met Fred in 2001 when I started working at PFC as a summer student. My first impression was that he was a kind man with a very inquisitive and outgoing personality. Back then, he used to confuse my name with that of ‘Monique’. Little did I know then that we would become good friends in the long-term, but we did, and he finally started calling me by my real name 🙂
So many fond memories over the years, but some few that stand out are the afternoon coffee chats in his office at PFC, listening to his passion for physics, experiencing my first international conference in Poland and his quest to reach the Belarus border (on bike), dinners with he & Josephine (fish & chips at the pub), his reaction when hearing about Jonas and I starting to date long-distance ;). It was very special that he and Josephine were able to attend our wedding in Sweden some years later. That really meant so much to us.
Jonas and I will miss our evening chats on the phone and the visits to BC will be quite strange without seeing him anymore. Fred was such as good friend to us and we loved him very much. He will be truly missed.
Michelle
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Lawrence Kaempffer and Valerie Fines Dear Josophine and Family
Ever since first meeting Fred and you at one of Fred and Gisela Kaempffer’s grad student garden parties I know that my parents always very much enjoyed your visits to western parkway and latterly sunrise.
Valerie and I were also thankful to have the opportunity to cross paths with you and enjoy your company over the last decade
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John Senyk Fred and I worked for the Canadian Forestry Service in Victoria for many years but our paths rarely crossed.
It was only because of our mutual interests in municipal politics that I became somewhat better acquainted with him. His letters to the Editors of local papers and his presentations to Central Saanich Council, dealing with a number of issues, were extremely well researched.
His ideas, supported by irrefutable background information, assisted in a more well rounded decision making process in the Municipality.“Rest Easy Fred”, you left your mark.
Condolences to Josephine and family
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Hanne Kohout So sorry to see Dr. Peet passed away. Central Saanich has lost another champion and the world a fine citizen. I’ll miss his support, encouragement and sly smile when dealing with the issues. May you cherish the memories and be thankful for knowing such a great man.
With deepest symphathy Hanne Kohout
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John Anderson I knew Fred as a classmate at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, one of the four graduates in Honours Physics in the class of 1964. After that we all went our separate ways, but several years later I bumped into Fred on the street in Calgary, and we ended up having a cup of coffee together. It was good to see him again and, looking back, I am sorry that we lost touch, until I saw his obituary in today’s Globe and Mail. It is good to know that he had a full productive career and a happy family life. My best wishes to Josephine and the family. Rest in peace, Fred; you ran a good race.
John Anderson
Ottawa
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Randy Park My heartfelt condolences to Josephine and family.
I met Fred during the ‘Blizzard of 96’, when after several days of running pumps to keep ahead of the snow melt, and approaching exhaustion, Fred knocked at the door as asked if he could give me a break and run the pumps for awhile. He gave me the break I so desperately needed.
I got to know Fred a little over subsequent years. Quiet, dignified, multi-talented, and widely respected, he will be missed. Rest in Peace Fred.
Randy Park
North Saanich
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Victor Burstall I knew Fred for only a few years. He was a highly intelligent person yet very modest with absolutely nothing to be modest about. He was respectful of others and always willing to help. His recent purchase of a souped up Ford truck which he adored is proof that you can take the boy off the farm but not the farm out of the boy. It was a privilege for me to have known Fred. My sincere condolences to Josephine and his family.
Vic Burstall
Fred was a friend and colleague at PFC for many years, and we regularly had morning coffee together there. As a friend, I appreciated his wide-ranging conversation and sense of humour. As a colleague I appreciated the breadth and depth of his scientific background, and his analytical skills contributed significantly to the research on which we collaborated.
My fond memories of him will stay with me.