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April 15, 1945 - April 3, 2020
Suddenly at home. Peter's quiet presence will be greatly missed by his brother Jim Oke and his sisters Rosemary Jorna (Sid), Heather Phillips
(Bob), Barbara Oke, Jean Oke, and Paddy Handy (John). Peter was born
in Worthing, Sussex, England to Peggy and Charles Oke while Charlie was in Europe. Our mother was a veteran and war bride. At six weeks old,
Peter met his dad briefly but it was thirteen months before Peggy boarded
the Queen Mary, with 1000 other brides and their children, to join Charlie in Winnipeg. The family moved to BC in 1949 and to Sooke in 1961, where Peggy had accepted a teaching position at Milne's Landing High School. Peter joined the Naval Reserve that fall.
Master Seaman PC Oke had a 47 year career in the Royal Canadian Navy. He served in Naval Bases in Moose Jaw, Saskatoon, Edmonton, and Comox, as well as with the United Nations peace keeping forces in the Suez and on Cyprus. He took part in naval patrols off the coast of Vietnam. When the HMCS Restigouche was one of the first Canadian Naval ships to visit Quingdoa China in June of 1988, Peter was on board.
Peter's final years of service were managing logistics and movements for Canada's Naval Cadet Corps until his retirement in April 2010.
Peter is survived as well by many nieces, nephews and "greats" whom he treasured as babies, and loved well as they grew older.
Memorial arrangements will be announced at a later date. No flowers. Donations to the Times Colonist Rapid Relief Fund would be welcome.