John Michael (Jan Machiel) Pille

John Michael (Jan Machiel) Pille passed away peacefully at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown, PEI 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 (Summerside), QEH (Charlottetown) and South Shore Villa (Crapaud).

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 (https://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, but still spent their summers in Cavendish at the campsite with many of their Island friends.