Peter Oomen

Our much beloved gentle giant passed away on March 5th, 2024. Peter left us in his usual way with efficiency and dignity. His wife Cathy said her final goodbyes and his two sons, Cameron and Glen, held his hands as he passed.

Peter was born November 2, 1942 in Voorschoten, Netherlands to Piet Oomen and Elizabet Merkies Oomen (Betsie). While Betsie was giving birth, the Siege of Stalingrad was taking place, and his mother was asked by the attending doctor to keep the noise down as he was listening to the reports on the radio. Since that day 81 years ago, Peter has been a quiet man with few words and much wisdom.

In January of 1951 Peter travelled across the sea in his short pants to cold Montreal via Iceland and Goose Bay with his two older sisters Cornelia Elizabeth and Marina Metje to meet their freshly immigrated parents, looking forward to the promised snow piles that were "as high as houses". He continued to wear short pants all that first winter, despite the cold and playground scuffles they caused.

After majoring in skiing and bridge at McGill University, he went on to become a very successful Electronics Engineer with many impressive accomplishments, such as: working at RCA on their Expo’67 "Man in Control" pavilion; designing the first word processors; designing flight information systems for British Overseas Airway Corporation and Telesat satellite ground stations; as well as designing the first automatic vehicle tolling system, used by EZ-Pass and Ontario’s highway 407.

In 1968 Peter met and fell in love with Cathy Griffin, while skiing down a mountain in Vermont. They were married in 1970 and have, over the years, shared many laughs, two wonderful boys, a myriad of cats and dogs, and most recently the sweet, often fierce, Rocky, a 13lb chihuahua. While living in Georgetown, Ontario, Peter and Cathy welcomed almost a dozen young people to share their home over the years, several of whom still keep in touch.

Peter and Cathy retired to Nova Scotia in 2000, living first in Blomidon and then in Wolfville. Peter enjoyed making new friends at Ken-Wo golf course, across the bridge table, in the bowling alley, and on the ski hills of Martock. Being Dutch and a cheese lover, he dabbled in cheese making with some notable successes and some very stinky failures. He also, with his buddy Phil, rode motorcycles up until his 80th year. He loved every kind of word game and crossword puzzle – especially the New York Times’.

Peter was a supportive and understanding Opa to his granddaughters Marley and Griffin Oomen-White, and a caring father-in-law to Melanie Priesnitz and Serena Jennings.  He was a very tall, quiet, graceful man who set a wonderful example for his boys, fixed all the broken things for his wife Cathy and sister Marina. He was always a calming presence wherever he went.

He leaves behind his wife Cathy, his sons Cameron and Glen, and two sisters, Marina and Corrie, who will all miss him terribly.

We will celebrate his life at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, May 4, 2024 in the Pereaux Baptist Church, Pereaux. Donations in memory may be made to the SPCA or Hope for Wildlife. 

Arrangements have been entrusted to the White Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Kentville. On-line condolences and inquiries may be directed to www.whitefamilyfuneralhome.com.