John Michael (Jan Machiel) Pille
1938-2022
John Michael (Jan Machiel) Pille passed away peacefully at
the Queen Elizabeth Hospital on Wednesday May 11th, 2022, age 84
years.
Born Feb 16, 1938 in Medemblik, Netherlands.
John was the son of the late Meindert and Marie Pille (nee
van Oudenaarde).
Beloved husband of Paula Pille (nee Gallant).
Dear father of Geoffrey Pille (Kathryn Hornby) and Erana
Pille, (their mother Evelyn Brunton).
Loving and proud Opa to Ann Pille and Sarah
Pille.
Dear brother of Michael Pille (late Sandra Bennett) and
Margaret Pille.
Predeceased by his wife Betty-Ann Marcoux.
Step father to Darren MacDonald and his children Keavney
MacDonald and Mikela MacDonald.
A celebration of life will be conducted later in the
summer.
No visiting hours as per the Family’s
wishes.
The family would like to thank all the staff at PCH, QEH and
South Shore Villa.
If so desired, contributions to the Canadian Heart and Stroke
foundation.
Cremation entrusted to Hennessey Cutcliffe Charlottetown
Funeral Home.
On-line condolences may be made at www.islandowned.ca.
As a child, John survived the Nazi occupation of the
Netherlands in WWII and emigrated to Canada with his family in 1949 to
West Bolton of the Eastern Townships. They crossed the ocean on the
Volendam and arrived in Quebec City before taking the train to Foster
where they were picked up and taken to the Mackenzie farm where they
had a job waiting for them. The ocean trip took seven days and the
roughest part was in the Irish Sea.
Despite not knowing English when he arrived in Canada, John
won public speaking and debating awards in the Townships while in high
school in Knowlton. John played trombone in the KHS band, travelled to
band practice by dirt road balancing his trombone on his bicycle, led
a dance band called “The Moonlight Serenaders”, composed a
piece of music that he called “Vrijheid” in Dutch, meaning
“freedom” in English, and it was played by the KHS Band.
John also starred in three operettas, was editor of the school paper
and won prizes in Track. While still a student at KHS, he became
acquainted with the owner of a Knowlton professional summer theatre,
Mr. Sadler. When they needed a trombone player for their production
of “You Can’t Take it With You”, a comedy about
eccentrics who end up on the morning after a wild party, with a
trombone-player in the bottom of a pull-out sofa, John got the part
for the summer. Part of John’s inspiration for music came
from his father, who played cornet in a small band prior to the move
to Canada.
John obtained his Canadian citizenship in 1956 and after
graduating from high school, John earned his teaching certificate at
MacDonald Teacher’s College and returned to KHS to teach
grade 7 and was the Staff assistant for the KHS band, under Harry
Long. At LHS he built the band from scratch, when a small
group of students, who knew of his musical background, approached him
and asked if he would be willing to teach them. After fifteen students
indicated their willingness to join, musical instruments were obtained
from donations from some gracious donors, including the home and
school and Lennoxville Optimist Club, the band was officially formed,
with the full support of principal, Edward J Perry. Within a year they
were up to 26 students. For the first few years, teaching was done one
on one, whenever time could be found. During the AGRHS years, the band
really grew to eventually form a junior, intermediate and senior band.
He taught for 34 years at Knowlton High School (KHS 1958-1959),
Lennoxville High School (LHS 1960-1968) and Alexander Galt Regional
High School (AGRHS 1969-1991). The bands played many Christmas and
spring concerts and also mixed in some concerts focusing on pop music
and also the first one in Canada to focus completely on music from
Canadian composers. The band went on many exchange trips and in one
instance, a Night at the Pops themed fundraiser was played to raise
money to take the senior band to the Quebec Music Conference in Quebec
City. They raised enough money that they were all able to
stay at the Chateau Frontenac and when John called to make
the reservation, he reserved a whole floor. He was honoured
and felt privileged to have been chosen to attend the Conference with
the band. His final band concert was May 2, 1991, just prior to
retirement.
Over many years, John also played trombone with the
Sherbrooke Symphony Orchestra and the City of Sherbrooke Band. He also
played in and then became the musical director of the Sherbrooke
Hussars Army Band, under Col. Jim Strickland. He was part of that band
that travelled to Ottawa to play for Canada’s Centenary on 1st July
1967, and received new colours from Queen Elizabeth.
John built theatre sets for many amateur and professional
productions at KHS, Alexander Galt, Bishop’s University and
the Piggery Theatre. John was also a proud musical historian,
especially for Canadian concert bands, composers and military bands.
John authored the Catalogue of Band Music by Canadian Composers,
typescript (Lennoxville, Que 1973) – Which is referenced by
the Canadian Encyclopedia of Music (www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/bands-emc).
During all this, John somehow found the time to found a
medieval & Renaissance musical group, bought the appropriate
instruments, found the appropriate music, led the group of musicians
to play for Shakespearean plays presented by the drama
department of Bishop’s University, in full costume, with the support
of Howard Brown of the Bishop’s University music
department.
John was also a Boy Scout assistant leader during the mid to
late 70’s and helped bring the 1st Lennoxville Scouts,
including his son Geoffrey, to the Canadian Jamboree in Cabot Park,
PEI (CJ’77).
After retiring from teaching, John’s passions
switched to curling and golf and soon became an active supporter of
junior golf and junior curling, driving kids to many events and
bonspiels. Anyone who knew him knew that he didn’t do
anything half way. John became President of the Canadian
Branch of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club 1998-1999 and President of
the Lennoxville Curling Club 2000-2001 and participated in
many competitive bonspiels and playdowns at the provincial
level.
John spent many summers in Cavendish PEI with many friends
and family before moving to Summerside permanently with Paula in
2012.
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Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of John Michael Jan Machiel Pille 19382022..
Death notice for the town of: Charlottetown, Province: I-P-E