Wilson, Peter
Wilson, Peter
December 20, 1944 — December 7, 2025On Sunday December 7, 2025, Peter Allan Wilson, a beloved husband, father, grandfather, son, brother, uncle and friend, passed away at the age of 80.
Peter was predeceased by his loving partner and wife of 25 years Bonnie Lee (Franklin) Stanfield on September 26, 2022 and his step daughter- Holly Elizabeth (Stanfield) Smart on January 15, 2010. Peter is survived by Son Kevin Wilson, Daughter-in-law Anne Wilson and Grandson Joshua Wilson; Son Darren Wilson, Daughter-in-law Claudette de la Cruz-Wilson and Granddaughter Ava de la Cruz-Wilson; Brother Reid Wilson, Sister-in-law Margaret Wilson and Nephew Jason Wilson; Stepson Christopher Stanfield, Daughter-in-law Karen Misoni-Stanfield, and Grandsons Nathan and Erik Stanfield; Son-in-law Michael Smart and Grandchildren Jack, Andrew and Shannon Smart; and Mother-in-law Agnes Baird.
Peter’s father Allan Edgar Wilson enlisted in the Signals Corps of the First Canadian Army in Toronto in 1939 and was immediately sent to England. In 1941 he met Barbara (Babs) Gertrude Usher and they were married in 1943 in London. While Allan was in Holland taking part in the liberation of that country from the Nazi’s, Peter was born December 20, 1944 in Bognor Regis, Sussex, England. Word did not reach Allan until December 24, 1944. Allan returned to Toronto early in 1945, was soon joined by Babs and Peter, and they settled into a house near R.H. King Collegiate in Scarborough.
Following in his father’s footsteps, Peter became a private pilot when he was 18, whereupon his Chief Flying Instructor said that in all his years of instructing, he had never met such a “natural” pilot as Peter. He was encouraged to submit his application to a national Canadian contest for student pilots. He beat out all the other student pilots in both the written exams and the flight testing to become the very first Non-Cadet pilot to win the prestigious Tudhope Trophy presented by the RCFCA.
At just 17 years old, Peter attended the University of Toronto in Engineering Physics switching to Industrial Engineering in his second year. He discovered the game of Squash while at U of T and made some lifelong friends at his fraternity Lambda Chi Alpha. He graduated “Summa Cum Laude” in 1966.
Peter was transferred to British Columbia soon after he began his IT sales career with a good job working at Honeywell Controls in Toronto. He was subsequently transferred to Winnipeg, Manitoba where he met Dorothy Gwendolyn Moors, who he married in 1970. Peter returned to Scarborough, Ontario and re-settled there, where he became a loving father to children Kevin Arthur and Darren Leigh Usher. Peter and Dorothy went their separate ways in 1993, divorced and remained good friends.
During his career, Peter worked in sales for IT companies including Data General and Sun Microsystems, closing out his career with Meta Group. Peter retired as a highly decorated Salesman.
While working at Data General in Toronto, Peter met Bonnie Stanfield and, in 1997, Bonnie became Peter’s loving partner for the next 25 wonderful years. They enjoyed spending time with family and watching their children and grandchildren grow. Peter won several sales contests with his work and was awarded with wonderful holidays abroad including their most memorable trip to New Zealand. Peter and Bonnie enjoyed their weekends and vacations on their live-aboard power boat “Seas the Dream” which they kept in Toronto. They loved entertaining friends, cruising lake Ontario, visiting the US and also Georgian Bay at the Wilson family cottage.
Peter enjoyed annual trips flying into remote fishing spots in northern Ontario with his fishing buddies. He also revered his UofT class of ’66 annual reunions.
Later in life upon retirement, Peter volunteered to provide sage life advice to warm-line callers hosted by the Township of Richmond Hill. Peter was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2009. He and Bonnie spent their final years together in their lovely home in Smithville, Ontario which they bought in 2016. Peter’s condition worsened through time and he finally moved into Albright Manor long term care facility in Beamsville in February 2019. Bonnie, who had been the love of his life and his primary caregiver for so many years, died unexpectedly in September, 2022.
Peter will be greatly missed by all of his family and friends.
An informal Celebration of Life gathering will be held in his honour in the Spring of 2026. Details to follow then.
