PETER FLACH

Peter Flach, beloved husband, father, Opa, mentor, and friend, passed away peacefully, on August 23, 2025, in Toronto. Born on September 23, 1940, in Berlin, Germany, Peter was the only child of Charlotte and Ernst Flach. His earliest memory was a joyful Christmas Eve with Mutti, Vati, and his grandparents. But then WWII brought a series of tragedies. Ernst was sent to Buchenwald and Charlotte was left to raise "Peterchen" on her own. They moved between cities so Charlotte could provide for her son. They eventually settled back in Berlin where Peter lived for the next 13 years. There, he immersed himself in his social life and sports, though school remained a challenge. With the help of a devoted teacher, he completed grade 13 and later studied at Free University in Berlin. During a summer job in 1965, Peter met an American dentist who told him, "Look me up if you're ever in New York." So, a few months later, Peter bought himself a plane ticket and showed up on the doorstep of that very surprised dentist. This adventure led him to the next one, this time on a student visa in Canada. At a University of Toronto event, Peter was drawn to a young woman from the Philippines - "Little Jo," with the big brown eyes. The two became inseparable and Peter, knowing his visa would soon expire, secured a spot in the Commerce and Finance program. He graduated in 1968. Jo and Peter married in St. John's Chapel in 1967 and raised three children: Ernst, Steve, and Monika. The Flach family grew to include daughters-in-law, Emily and Ieva; son-in-law, Kalle; and seven grandchildren: Mats, Freja, Jacob, Helena, Hanna, Ruby, and Alex. Peter was a hands-on grandfather who famously donned a red suit and white beard every Christmas - even after the grandkids became teens. Peter's warmth, congeniality, and keen sense of humour earned him friends of all ages and walks of life. He was always up for a game of golf or a beer and could captivate any audience with his (sometimes embellished) storytelling. His cherished companion of course was Jo, his wife of 58 years. They travelled the world together, visiting their children in Hong Kong, Stockholm, and Vancouver. They explored countries from Vietnam to France and made annual road trips to Florida. Amazingly, this joy of travel continued until just a month before Peter's passing. In his professional life, Peter held senior executive roles in retail, including Becker Milk, Couche-Tard, and 7-Eleven. He also served for several years - to his teenaged children's elation - as President of Brewer's Retail. Later, he worked with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, mentoring businesses in transition economies like Armenia, Georgia and Mongolia. Peter often declared with a smile, "Life is good!" He truly lived a good life, and, in his final hours, he was surrounded by his family who filled the room with lively German music, shared memories, and even a little laughter. A funeral service will be held on September 26th, at 1 p.m. at Glen Oaks Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, donations to St. Joseph's Health Centre or BC Cancer will be sincerely appreciated.