Pat Pel

PEL, Pat

After a brief illness our mother passed into the arms of her Heavenly Father on January 18, 2025 at Hospice Peterborough. She was in her 95th year. Beloved wife of the late Hotze Pel (d.2019) Loving mother of the late Doreen (d.2014) (Ray) Hendriks, Ted Pel, Susan Semplonius, Marcia (Art) Hiemstra and Steve (Cindy) Pel. She will be missed by her many Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren. Predeceased by her parents Klass and Dieuwke of Holland. Pat was an active resident who enjoyed her 7 years at Princess Gardens. Thank you to the staff. As a family we wish to express our gratitude to the staff and volunteers at Hospice Peterborough who cared for us and Pat in her final days.

Friends will be received at Living Hope Church, 1 Consumer Place, on Tuesday, Jan 21 from 7 - 9 pm.
A celebration of Pat’s life will be held on Wednesday Jan 22, 2025 at Living Hope Church at 12 pm.
Reception to immediately follow at Living Hope.
In memory of Pat and in lieu of flowers donations to Living Hope Church, Rhema Christian School or Hospice Peterborough would be appreciated by the family.

Pietje (Patricia) Hofstee Pel was born in a small village in the province of Friesland in the Netherlands on February 13, 1930.  Her early memories were of life with parents and maternal grandparents together and the small village store run by her parents.   She began school at six years old and her teachers recognized her aptitude for learning. As a result, along with just one other girl from the village, she went on to high school and then eventually nursing school.
Hotze and Pat were married on February 1, 1951 and on April 1, 1951 they began their journey to Canada.  They began their Canadian life on a small farm in north Oshawa, eventually purchasing a home in Oshawa before building their first family home in Whitby. In the mid-70’s, they moved to Bowmanville  and then on to Peterborough.  Pat recalled the home on the river on Cameron St. in Peterborough fondly.  Pat’s final earthly home was the community of Princess Gardens where she found new purpose in her life yet again.  The companionship that she found there was deeply meaningful to her.
 After 8 years of marriage, Pat began the process of adopting children.  Doreen in 1958 was followed by Ted, Marcia, Stephen and Susan.  As spouses joined the family and then grandchildren and great grandchildren were added, they, too, were “adopted” into the family. Mom  loved her family deeply, spending her years nurturing them and praying for them daily.   
Along with being a dedicated mother and home-maker, Pat had many careers.  She began her working career in Canada as a nurse in Oshawa General Hospital.  She worked from home when the children were younger helping local tradespeople to organize their businesses.  In Bowmanville she taught home-economics in Durham Christian High School and then in Peterborough was church secretary at Cephas and then Living Hope churches.  The students at Rhema Christian School were blessed by her teaching of cooking classes also. Finally, many members of the Peterborough community benefited from her passionate commitment to eating nutritionally and living healthily.
The story of Patricia Pel is only complete with the acknowledgement of her deep love for her Heavenly Father and her deep faith in Jesus Christ.  Her last wishes were to be reunited with her husband and daughter and today she is home with them and her Lord.