| Notes |
- George was known by everyone as "Pete". His mother wanted to name him "George", and his father wanted to name him "Pete", so George was his legal name and "Pete" was his nickname. Pete had a boisterous personality and was a consummate kidder. He was also very humble and rarely liked to talk about himself.
Pete owned his own business for most of his life selling safety equipment to the Hamilton area. When he retired in 1992 he turned the business over to his son David. David has since retired and sold the business.
In high school, Pete was captain of the football team and is remembered by one classmate as an inspiration to others. Pete later coached amateur football.
Pete flew Hurricane airplanes in WWII. He recalls with embarrassment when he accidently destroyed an unoccupied Haida Indian fishing village on Vancouver Island. The village had to be rebuilt by RCAF troops.
Hamilton Spectator Tribute:
Headline: Pete Gow - Sports enthusiast saw the humour in life
by Luma Muhtadie, The Hamilton Spectator, May 16, 2002.
Pete Gow tackled every endeavor in his 82-year life with a sense of humour and a smile.
The former Hamilton Wildcats' halfback, Air Force veteran, businessman and grandfather died last Wednesday after the prostate cancer that had been in remission for six years moved to his bone marrow. More than 300 people attended the visitation on Saturday at Smith's Funeral Home in Burlington.
"When he walked into a room, everybody was happy to see him," said Mae, his wife of 58 years. "He drew people in. He was lighthearted and fun," she said.
Gow and his wife met when he was captain of the football team at the former Central High School in Hamilton. She was a Delta Secondary School student who never missed the chance to watch him play.
After graduation, Gow joined the Air Force and went to British Columbia for training. During a military exercise, his plane caught fire, forcing him to parachute. He landed in a tree, injured his back and was unable to fight overseas.
"My dad's friends in the force used to joke around and say he was staying back to protect Saskatoon from attack," said John Gow, one of two sons. "He saw the humour in it, that's just the sort of man he was," he said.
Gow married Mae in Hamilton in 1941. He returned to football and was signed by the Hamilton Wildcats -- later to become the Tiger-Cats -- in 1946. After retiring from his short pro career, Gow ventured out to his old stomping grounds at Central and asked if he could be head coach of the football team. The request was granted.
"My dad used to tell a story about someone he had to cut because he didn't think the guy could be a good ball player," John said. "It was (former CFL star) Russ Jackson. My dad always chuckled about this."
Gow's love of competition persisted throughout his life. He curled, golfed and played cards with the guys from the Dundas Valley Golf and Curling Club, where the flag hung at half-mast after his death.
He was also a regular at the Mohawk harness-racing track.
"My dad never missed a Saturday at the track," John said. "He even wanted my brother and I to take him there when he was using a walker. He just couldn't sit still."
Gow's restless energy was an asset to his career. After 10 years working for an industrial supply firm in Hamilton, he left with their blessing, to start his own company, G.W. Gow Limited.
The fire and safety equipment supplier is now owned by his son, David.
"In all the years I worked with my dad, I never met anyone who didn't like him," David said. "He always helped other people.
"When Taylor Steel first started, they didn't have any money and my father gave them everything on credit. They're still with us 35 years later."
But Gow was no less a family man. He doted on his five grandchildren, attending hockey and baseball games, and dance and piano recitals with equal zeal.
A member of one of these teams came to Gow's funeral, a baseball in hand as a token of respect. The words, 'To the candy grandpa' were scrawled on the ball, as a tribute to his visible presence and sweet generosity with his grandchildren's friends.
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1920 - 2002 (81 years)
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