In Memory of Peter John Harrison
Peter John Harrison, age 71, of Embrun, Ontario, passed away suddenly on November 1, 2024. Peter was born in Battersea, London, England on September 5, 1953, to Dorothy Harrison (Watts) and Ernest Harrison. Peter is survived by his wife of over 50 years, Judy, son Christopher (Martine Comeau), cherished grandchildren, Sébastien and Marie-Ève, brother Michael (Jill), sisters Susan Carr (Ron) and Carol Wale (Brian) and several nieces and nephews.
Peter worked in the IT industry for over 35 years and retired from IBM in 2011. Peter enjoyed various hobbies which included gardening, tropical fish, e-biking, camping, as well as taking many drives around the countryside.
A celebration of life will be held on November 29, 2024 beginning at 12 pm at Heritage Funeral Complex, 1250 Trim Road, Orleans, Ontario.
In lieu of flowers, please share your fondest memories of Peter using the Tribute Wall link.
Pete and I worked together for many years supporting government IT departments. His knowledge and skills were amazing and he was always willing to help.
We enjoyed many lunches at the Host India buffet restaurant on Montreal while we were working at the CMHC complex on Montreal Rd.
He attended my retirement party in 2022.
He was a very good person, taken too early.
Chris Porter
The memory should say lunches at the Restaurant on Montreal Rd.
My apologies.
Chris Porter
I have known Pete for many,many years. I met him in 1976 and found him to be a sweet, funny and loving man. Judy and Pete were already married when I came to know him. I’m sending tons of love to Jude, Chris, Marty, Sebastian and Marie-Eve. Pete, you will be missed at all of our family functions. R.I.P. Pete. ❤️ Carol Throop
Pete and I have been friends for many years, through many of each of our ups and downs. I will treasure these times dearly, and miss our future interactions sorely.
Judy, Chris, Marty, and extended family, my deepest sympathies.
So many, but the best one was our get together for the famous 😀 fondue that included is smoked fish 🐟 and more goodys.
I will miss the great conversations and the great knowledge of all the travels he and Judy did. He also had a great 😃 sense of
humor. Peter thanks 🙏 for having been a part of my life.
I met Pete at SDL in Jan of 79. He was one of my many great mentors in Operations. Lots of good times at the Ops bashes , he trained me on the IBM 85 and 168 mainframes….showed me how to ” stuff the pig” so to speak (queuing batch jobs on the 85)
Later he moved on to Helpdesk then to Application support (CICS). I moved to Hardware Support and eventually we re-united in the Systems group at ISM in the late 80s. Worked together from then on till both our retirements. Pete n Jud were the reason our family moved to Embrun. They talked it up until we came to visit and we moved/lived there for 38 years. Many good times with Pete n Judy n Chris ( “he was a nice boy. He cut my grass”). Fireworks, apple picking, dump runs…..good wholesome family stuff.
After retirement it was always a pleasure to talk with Pete at the SDL re-unions. He was a good friend with an infectious personality. I will miss him dearly.
Sue and I were deeply saddened to hear the sudden passing of Peter. Peter and I worked together at SDL in the 70’s. Even though our paths never crossed over several years, we got to know each other again through SDL reunions. Our condolences to Judy and family. RIP Peter.. Shayne and Sue Lachance
Dear Judy, Chris, and family.
Please accept lour sincere condolences on the untimely passing of Peter. He is gone, but his memory will never be forgotten.
Hon. Don Boudria PC and Maryann
I would have to say that I had never seen Pete happier than when he was having fun with his grandchildren, Sébastien and Marie-Ève. He lit up with joy whenever he was with them.
Pete had such a passion for so many things, his huge and delicate discus fish, he had so many fish over the years and I loved learning about them when we’d visit. He always shared what birds they’d seen recently visiting the feeders. The stories he would tell about him and Judy going mountain biking years ago. Pete led a full and fulfilling life, and was passionate about so many things.
We will all miss you immensely Pete. My deepest condolences to his closest and favourite people, Judy, Chris, Martine, Sébastien and Marie-Ève. Big hugs to you.
I am so sorry for your loss Judy. · You will be in my thoughts. · I am incredibly saddened to hear about Peters passing.
Ive only known Pete for the better part of the last decade. I will always cherish the amount of fun and memories we had with all of our families skiing together. Always one to smile and make everyone laugh, i will always remember talking to with you about whatever we felt like talking about (usually not overly cerebral stuff) and having fun and cracking up laughing doing so. You were a truly amazing and inspiring person. Taking up skiing late in life in order to be able to spend time with your loved ones is very, very impressive and admirable. Wherever you are now, I’m certain the smile hasn’t left and I know the good humor will spread to your surroundings.
The Mantha family will miss you dearly.
To Judy, Chris, Martine, Seb and Marie-Ève, nous aimerions vous offrir nos sincères condoléances, nous vous gardons dans nos pensées durant ces temps difficile, ont vous aimes très fort et prenez soin.
My deepest sympathy to Judy and family. .
I have so many happy memories. We moved to Embrun because of Mr. Pete and Ms. Judy. My husband at the time knew Peter from work. There was a few of us from STM living out there. We had a young family and was blessed to have Pete and Judy as great friends. We spent time playing cards, having barbecue, sharing holidays. A very special time in my life. Peter made me laugh so much. The world was so much better with Peter in it. Such a kind loving person. He will be greatly missed.
Pete and I worked together in Application Support at CSG in the early 1980s. When Pete enrolled Chris at Douvris Martial Arts, he persuaded us to have Natalie join the karate classes as well. I would see him during the workday, and then, in the evenings, I would often spend time with him, Judy, and Chris during the years until both of them got the black belts. Pete was a gentle soul with a great sense of humor.
Over the years, we worked together on and off. In 2008, we ended up sharing the same cubicle at 700 Montreal Road for a while before he retired from IBM.
Even after his retirement, we stayed in touch and occasionally met up with our old friends to swap jokes and catch up on family and friends’ news. I always enjoyed hearing his funny travel stories about his trips across Canada, Cuba, and the United States.
The last time I saw Pete was at his birthday party on September 8, 2023. He was the same old Pete, the one who always knew how to make everyone around him happy.
I will miss him dearly.
My deepest sympathies go out to Judy, Chris, Marty, and the entire extended family.
There are some people in this world that when you hear of their passing, you are taken aback in disbelief and shock that the world just lost such a kind soul. Peter was one of those. He never failed to bring a smile to my face at work as he took great joy in brightening your day. He never got burdened with “office politics”…just tried to make your day go a little smoother. It was hilarious watching him race remote-controlled cars through the hallways at 1200 St. Laurent Boulevard. He always introduced me to new co-workers and friends as “Joe the Knife” and it made me feel good inside! You will be missed.
I was a young man when Peter started working at SDL and we quickly developed a friendship. Peter and Judy were a young married couple who easily made friends with their pleasant demeanor and great sense of humour. I spent a number of evenings at their apartment by Hogs Back listening to music, sharing our thoughts on the universe and of course having lots of laughs. Peter was always there to help if you needed a hand and taught me a lot about wells and water systems when I bought a house in the country. We shared a love of gardening and he gave me some cactuses for my garden that he said would survive a Canadian winter. They were still growing and multiplying when I sold the house 30 years later. Getting to see and talk with Peter and Judy at the regular SDL dinners was always something to look forward to and we were fortunate to have that regular contact. We will miss him at the ones to come.
Kathy and I offer our condolences to Judy, Chris and family. You are in our prayers.
Sincerely,
Eddie & Kathy Donovan
So sad to hear of Pete’s passing. Sincere condolences to all of his family. Pete was a very supportive work mate for many years.
Stephen Beckstead – Orleans.
Hi Jude, Chris and Family
We are still in shock! He was much too young to leave us. At our last dinner with the 6 boardgamers he looked so healthy and as usual full of his stories! Our dinners at Kallisto and The Stable will be much missed by us and the staff as he kept us all laughing.
So sorry for your loss.
Gord and Marilee
My sincerest condolences to Judy, Chris, Martine, Seb and Marieve. I hope that knowing how much you are loved helps you get through this difficult time.
I always enjoyed chatting with Pete about music and the bands we both loved.
Wishing you peace and comfort as you remember him.
Nancy LaRose
Don and I were in shock to hear the news about Pete. He was such a great friend and taken far too early. we were up in Ottawa in October and got together with Pete and Judy and had the best evening ever. We loved catching up and hearing all his stories. He will never be forgotten. Our deepest condolences to Judy,Chris,Martine,Sébastien and Marie Eve. Hugs to you all.
Pete was a lovely man. We will miss his smiling face at family gatherings. Love and condolences to Judy and family.
Helen and Joe
Our deepest sympathy to Judy , Chris and family, his brother Mike and family, his two sisters Carole and Sue and their families.
We have known Pete for over 40 yrs. He was like a second father to our youngest son. He was a very dear friend always helping us .
We have shared so much through our years of friendship. We are here to share the weight of your loss.
Judy and Chris, we will always be there for you..
The Comeau-Shank family, extends its deepest condolences to the close ones of Pete Harrison. We met Grandpa Pete during the family ski days, a couple winters ago. From these times, we hold good memories of hitting the slopes with him, and enjoying his company during the family get-together après-ski parties where we regaled in his personal anecdotes, travel stories, his passion for tropical fish and funny jokes. We particularly appreciated the way he connected with kids, always genuinely interested in what they had to say, making them feel like no one else was in the room. Pete had a cheerful presence, always down to have fun with us at our ski events. We will remember him fondly.
Peter or as I grew up knowing him Harrison, was one of my dads closest friends. I’ll always remember his kindness and great sense of humor. He will be greatly missed.
My deepest sympathies to his family and friends who will all miss him dearly!
Tanya Drolet
You will be missed! Pete was a big part of our upbringing. His zeal for life and his interest in trying new things was a true inspiration to my upbringing. We will miss you. Condolences to Chris and Judy. We are always thinking of you!
Words can’t express the love I’m sending Judy’s way. Pete was such a wonderful person, that took an interest in knowing you and chatting with you regardless of anything. I’ll always treasure my memories of going to visit them and climbing their Apple tree to pick apples during fall to make homemade cider.
My parents live next door to Pete and Judy. We grew up with them, going over to play cards, having meals and bbqs together. Pete was always cheerful and fun to be around. He loved to share his knowledge of plants and fish to anyone who would listen.I enjoyed listening to all of his stories. I will always remember how he made me feel when I was a little girl. Thanks for all the beautiful memories Pete. You will be missed.🌻 Here’s a picture of him and Judy at my parent’s 50th anniversary.