Obituary of Peter DaCosta

To view the livestream and recording of the service, please click here

Lester Eric “Peter” DaCosta, born August 21, 1932, in Morant Bay St. Thomas, Jamaica. He grew up in Brown’s Town, St. Ann, and attended St. George's College in Kingston Jamaica.

Peter is pre-deceased by his parents Lester Eric and Rosalyn Agatha DaCosta, elder sister Dorothy Bornemann Aunts Lila, Hazel and Carmen Samuda, cousins Pauline Soltau and Judith Heron. He is survived by his wife Lauris Bailey-DaCosta and children Nicole DaCosta-Deschenes, Marc and Audley DaCosta, older sister Sylvia Goucher and family, cousins Carmen Lipman-White & family, Dora Thompson and family, the Soltau family in England, Raphael Samuda and Nereida Samuda-Zimic and other families in Panama as well as Mark Antomez and family, Chicago

Peter left Jamaica for Montreal, Canada in 1957.  While there he worked with Snap-On Tools and Canadair before embarking on his career as an Industrial Radiologist Inspector (I.R.) He worked with Trutom and later McLeish Radiology, both I.R. companies. The family moved to Newtonville, Ontario when McLeish Radiology Services offered Peter a job at Ontario Hydro in 1981.

Peter loved cars and always spoke fondly of his first car, “Sugar Bush.” He was a very good mechanic and would take apart a new car simply to examine the mechanics. He loved driving. It was his favorite way of traveling.  As a result, the family enjoyed long trips across Canada and the United States. Peter visited every province and territory in Canada either for work or family holidays. He loved the outdoors - fishing, hunting, camping in addition to drag car racing.

Peter’s signature ‘laugh’ made him identifiable in the largest crowd. Once, when visiting Jamaica after years of being away, he was standing in line at a patty shop on Hope Road. Peter had cause to laugh. A longtime schoolmate in the front of the line heard the laugh and without looking back said,” Peter DaCosta”. They immediately started chatting.

A well intentioned, spontaneous and happy person, Peter was loved by all who met him; adults, children, even animals.  He never failed to help when and where he could. Peter was an uncomplicated man, a good friend  and a person of strong religious Faith, He was a practicing Roman Catholic and had many visits with Fr. Tomon at home and in the hospital.

Peter died peacefully at Grand River, Freeport Campus, on Sunday May 19th, 2024 at 9.41am, surrounded by family and friends. He will be dearly missed.

The family would like to take this opportunity to thank all the staff on Floor 3S, Grand River Terrace for their compassion and care as well as the neighbours and friends who made themselves available to take Lauris to and from Freeport Hospital. This support along with the many warm and kind messages of condolence are greatly appreciated.

Peter will be greatly missed. “Do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day.” 2 Peter 3:8. Everything has a beginning and everything has an end.

Visitation will be held at the Erb & Good Family Funeral Home, 171 King St. S., on Sunday, May 26, 2024 from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. The funeral service to celebrate Peter’s life will be held in the chapel of the funeral home on Monday, May 27 at 11:00 am followed by a reception in the Fireside Reception Room. Interment will take place at Parkview Cemetery, Waterloo. A livestream and recording of the service will be made available in Peter’s tribute page at www.erbgood.com

Condolences for the family and donations to Freeport Health Centre – Palliative Care Unit and the Caribbean Canadian Association of Waterloo Region (CCAWR) Lauris DaCosta Scholarship Fund (click here to donate with credit card)  may be arranged through the funeral home at www.erbgood.com