'Pete" Edmund C. REES

Pete Rees

December.26.1924 – March.23.2022

R.I.P. Edmond Cleaton Rees born in England

Sailor, aviator, rancher, firefighter, storyteller.

    Passed away at home on Thetis Island in his comfy chair with his dog Rusty on his lap.

    Anyone that knew Pete has heard him tell wonderfully colourful, funny stories. He was able to come up with a tale from his life experiences at any time of the day. He was a merchant marine as a younger man, travelling around the globe on various ships working as an engineer, seeing amazing places from Fiji to India and beyond. On watch he sometimes experienced epiphanies during starry nights. Many magical stories were told from those days.

   Pete was awarded medals serving in WW 2. He was also awarded a Certificate of Recognition from the Prime Minister & Minister of Veterans Affairs for selfless acts of service and sacrifice in defence of Canada. Part of his life was spent as an Engineer in the Royal Canadian Naval Service.

  He served with V.F.D. retiring after 29 years. He started on the Vancouver fireboat, serving bravely at the fire department and for a period driving the fire truck. He retired at rank of Captain. He was very influential in the evolution of the T.I.V.F.D. (Thetis Island Volunteer Fire Department) retiring again in 1994 after 12 years with that outfit as founding Fire Chief.

   Pete and wife Audree were both sailors and were called upon many times by friends to crew their ketches all over the globe. He and Aud built a 42’ sailboat in Vancouver. Audree constructed a small mock up of her dream house which looks exactly like the house they built on Thetis Island. The beams for the house were ferried over on the sailboat.

   Much love to all the Thetis Island neighbors who watched out for Uncle Pete! Merry & Arthur Gooding, Maureen & Wayne Loiselle, Rick & Anne-Marie Koeppen, Fire Chief Jeannine Caldbeck, Joan & Dave Smirl all the Volunteer FD members & so many others.

   Survived by wife Audree, Cousin Janet, sister-in-law Geraldine, nephews Ken and Jerry & wife Pat.

We will celebrate Pete’s life and honour his memory with a Fire Service memorial and a community gathering with his friends, family and neighbors on May 14th at 2pm Forbes Hall, Thetis Island B.C

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