Jack PETERS

The family of Jack Peters is deeply saddened to announce that he passed away peacefully in the Elk Valley Hospital in Fernie after a short illness on April 12, 2026.

Jack was predeceased by his parents and siblings Donald, Bill, Gordon and Arthur. He is survived by his ex-wife Elaine, their three children Darcy (Donna), Dean and Duane, and two grandchildren Shauna (James) and Jenaya (Hayden), his partner Christine and her three children Laurie (Gilles), Dave (Debbie) and William (Deb) and her grandchildren Amy, Nick, Jeffrey Gregory and Aron.

Jack was a lifelong resident of Fernie and at 12 years old he had to drop out of high school in grade 8 to start work in the Coal Creek underground mines to support his parents. During the numerous shutdowns that occurred due to market conditions, he continued this support by working with the City of Fernie digging water line trenches, by hand, in the north end of the city and fighting forest fires with BC Forest Service, spending many weeks in the Flathead Valley.

He eventually found his way back into the coal mining business when the Crow’s Nest Pass Coal Company started operations in the Michel/Natal area. His employee number then was 0036, which from then onwards became his lucky number. Through numerous name changes and mine owners, he continued to advance his career and became a Fire Boss in charge of his own crew at Balmer North. He often mentioned his mentor Jazz Anderson, as the person who pushed him to excel in his underground mining career. Jack was known for his strict mine safety protocols and was Captain of the Fernie Mine Rescue Team.

It was in this role that he and his team were dispatched on May 02, 1972, to Kellogg Idaho at Sunshine Mines where unfortunately an explosion and fire had trapped nearly 100 men. So impressed were the US officials of the team’s professionalism and bravery that the team was awarded a medal of merit by the then Governor of Idaho. His mine rescue and mine safety work was respected not only in the Elk Valley but also provincially and nationally as his team won numerous mine rescue competitions. He was often referred to as “Mr. Mine Rescue”.

Jack loved fishing the Elk River, especially in the canyon south of Elko, and when asked where he caught his fish, his witty comeback was always “in the mouth, where else are you supposed to catch them”. He took great pride in picking huckleberries in his “secret patch” and no we are not going to reveal the location. When people commented on his purple fingers the response was “I was just doing some painting around the house”. He also excelled in darts when leagues were plenty in Fernie and always strived to end his games with a double 18 or 36 points, his lucky number. Jack enjoyed watching baseball and his team loyalty always went to the Seattle Mariners and the Blue Jays, watching games live in Seattle almost every summer.

He was a regular at the Fernie Legion playing darts, enjoying the company and playing the famed meat draws. Jack escaped the Fernie winters and relaxed in sunny Yuma AZ where he found many new friends who will miss him greatly. A life well lived.

Jack’s wishes were to not have a service, with no flowers and no tears.

The family would like to thank all the nurses and doctors who not only cared for him but also patiently answered questions from the family. Additionally, we would like to thank JJ at Cherished Memories who made us all feel very comfortable during a difficult situation. We are forever grateful.

In lieu of flowers Jack requested that donations be made to Fernie Friends for Friends and Angel Flight who both made an impact while he was not well.

www.cherishedmemoriesfs.com