Obituary
In Loving Memory of Peter Gudmundur Osrunn
December 14, 1936 – June 22, 2026
Peter Gudmundur Osrunn lived a life defined by curiosity, kindness, integrity, and an unwavering love of learning. A true gentleman in every sense of the word, he believed that every person deserved respect and that every day offered an opportunity to learn something new.
Peter was born on December 14, 1936, on Staten Island, New York, the youngest of three siblings, where he spent his childhood. He was the son of Pall Osrunn, who emigrated from Iceland, and Lilly Winther, who was born in Denmark. Peter was proud of his Icelandic and Danish heritage, a connection he cherished throughout his life. By all accounts, Peter was a sunny little boy with an endearing mischievous streak. He was predeceased by his sister, Bergljot, and is survived by his older brother, Knud Ole.
As a young man, Peter proudly served in the United States Army and the Merchant Marine. The values of discipline, service, and integrity that he carried from his military years remained evident throughout the rest of his life.
Education was one of Peter’s greatest passions. He completed his undergraduate studies at New York’s Wagner College. He then began his career teaching high school social studies before returning to his own studies, earning a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Geography from the University of Alberta.
Peter served the Government of Canada for more than two decades with Indian and Northern Affairs until his retirement. Throughout his professional life, he was respected for his intelligence, integrity, and thoughtful approach to his work.
Peter never truly retired from learning. His curiosity about the world only deepened with time. He spoke several languages and combined his love of travel with his desire to help others by teaching English in Italy, Slovakia, and Germany during his retirement. He embraced different cultures with genuine interest and formed friendships wherever he went. Among the many parts of the world he explored, Copenhagen, Denmark, held a special place in his heart, reflecting his deep connection to his Danish roots.
Peter possessed a remarkable intellect, but what people remembered most was not the depth of his knowledge, but the warmth with which he shared it. He loved people. He had a wonderful sense of humour, was endlessly curious, and genuinely enjoyed meaningful conversation. Whether discussing history, geography, world events, or simply exchanging stories over a cup of coffee, Peter had a remarkable ability to make everyone feel welcome. He believed that knowledge was meant to be shared and found genuine joy in helping others discover something new.
Peter was meticulous, organized, and deeply devoted to preserving his family’s Danish and Icelandic genealogy, carefully documenting a lineage that stretches back to the eighth century. He understood that our histories connect us, and he took great pride in preserving that gift for future generations.
An avid reader, Peter’s favourite authors included Bill Bryson and John Grisham. Sunday mornings often found him immersed in The New York Times, keeping up with politics, current events, and the Modern Love column with the same enthusiasm that characterized his lifelong pursuit of knowledge. He also loved films, particularly thoughtful stories that celebrated love, hope, and the resilience of the human spirit. Peter was also a romantic at heart. He never lost his appreciation for stories that reminded us of the goodness in people and the enduring power of kindness and love.
Above all else, Peter will be remembered for his kindness. Throughout his Ottawa neighbourhood, he became a familiar and beloved figure. During his almost daily walks to Farm Boy, Peter rarely made the trip without stopping to chat. The cashiers knew him by name, neighbours looked forward to seeing him, and almost everyone who crossed his path remarked on the same qualities: what a genuinely friendly man he was, and what a true gentleman he remained throughout his life.
Peter was the devoted father of Kirsten (Dale) and Timothy (Alisha). He was a proud grandfather to Maxwell, Thea, Wilcy, Alissandra, Pall, and Jon, and delighted in becoming a great-grandfather to Noa and Martin. He was predeceased by his nephew David and his niece Carolyn and is survived by his beloved niece, Lise (Hiram), and her children, Kjartan, Abraham, and Lilly.
Even in death, Peter chose to continue helping others. In keeping with his lifelong commitment to education and learning, he generously donated his body to the Anatomy Department at the University of Ottawa so that future generations of medical students could continue to learn from his final gift.
Peter’s greatest legacy is not found in titles or accomplishments, but in the countless lives he touched through his kindness, wisdom, generosity, and quiet grace. He leaves behind a family who loved him deeply, friends who will miss him dearly, and a community made better simply because he was part of it.
In keeping with Peter’s wishes, there will not be a memorial service. Instead, we warmly invite everyone who knew Peter to help celebrate his remarkable life by sharing a thought, photograph, or story. Whether Peter was your colleague, neighbour, teacher, travelling companion, friend, or simply someone who touched your life, your memories are a precious gift to our family.
For those wishing to honour his life, we ask that you emulate Peter and surprise someone you love with an unexpected gift or kindness.
Together, we hope to preserve the story of a man whose life enriched so many others and whose legacy will continue through the memories we share.
Thank you for helping us ensure that Peter’s story and the kindness he shared so freely will never be forgotten.
Gallery
Memory wall
I thought it was brilliant that Peter got himself certified to teach English as a second language and used that to get paid to stay in nice places. It kept him stimulated and provided him with many more stimulating stories to tell.
During the lockdown stage of the pandemic, both of us were arranging walks with friends so we could get some sort of exercise and social interaction. We scheduled weekly walks until they started to be a bit too much for Peter. We continued to meet up or talk by phone, but he gradually gave up on swimming, so I no longer saw him at the Y.
The last time I saw Peter was a couple months ago at the Farm Boy that others have referred to, and the last time he called me, before he signed off with his "we'll be talking along the way," he mentioned having to see his doctor about his heart issues.
I think we all know how Peter was intelligent, insightful, gentlemanly, engaging and enjoying himself. But I hope I can mention here another side of Peter that has not come forward in other tributes. I became aware of this side one time when Peter told me about someone he had had a chance encounter with. It went along these lines:
Peter and another man start talking and notice each other's New York accents.
- The other man: "What part of the city are you from?"
- Peter: "Staten Island."
- The other man: "Oh, a bunch of farmers!"
- Peter: "And where might you be from?"
- The other man: "The Bronx."
- Peter: "Well, you know what they say: If ever New York City needs an enema, they'll be putting the tube in the Bronx."
I was shocked; it was so out of character. Peter attested that he really did say that. I attributed it to his Viking blood and growing up in no-holds-barred New York City. Don't mess around with Peter!
With that, I offer my sincere condolences to the family. At the same time, I am glad you have lots of positive, warm and fun memories to keep you company, and I trust you will one day make that trip to Iceland and Denmark in honour of his memory.
Well done, Peter!
Dan (Daniel Roseman, Ottawa)
With happy memories
Annelise and Ole
Denmark
Bryan Lymburner and Jeannette Diguer
I met Peter in 1970 when he came to the University of Saskatchewan to undertake a PhD program in geography. We were fellow PhD candidates. Peter quickly became disappointed with the University of Saskatchewan and was looking elsewhere to pursue a PhD. I recognized that his research interests dovetailed with those of my former professor, Dr. William Wonders at the University of Alberta. Peter reached out to Dr. Wonders and was accepted into the PhD program at U of A. Peter moved his family to Edmonton in 1971 where he would complete a PhD program.
Peter and I had lost touch over the years. However, I tracked Peter down to Ottawa a few years ago. In October 2022, I had a terrific visit with Peter in Ottawa. It had been nearly 50 years since we'd spent time with one another. We had a wonderful time reminiscing about our days at U of S. We shared with one another our professional and personal experiences over the past five decades.
This tribute to Peter's life is superb. Peter was an incredible man. I shall miss him dearly.
Don Stone
Vancouver, BC
I'll miss him very much.
Rod MacDonald
I don’t remember exactly when I first met Peter( Uncle Peter), but I think it was in Stowe Vt when we were vacationing with the Brownell/ Johnson Family. Our kids were young and we would gather together for heartwarming fun every summer back then.
Peter was quick with a smile and a vivid story of his travels. He was, in a word, heart warming.
My dear friend Lise held Uncle Peter in very high regard; she loved him so much and this was infectious. He was easy to care about. She would shine when she spoke of him and I remember that at the very mention of Peter’s name, her mom Belle, would shake her head and chuckle. It was so clear that Uncle Peter has a special place in the hearts of his family. I can’t recall a time when we saw him that it wasn’t just a plain straight forward good time.
I believe that when a person leaves us, it doesn’t mean that they take the love that we have felt for them or them for us with them. This is certainly true about Uncle Peter. He has left a trail of love and caring that will follow us and surround us. That was just the kind of person that Peter will always be.
Les deux Peter aimaient bien se compter des blagues. Cela va nous manquer en plus de son sourire et sa gentillesse.
Nos sincères condoléances à la famille de Peter.
Ginette et Peter Robertson
Some people pass through your life briefly and leave a lasting mark. Peter was one of those people.
I first met him about twenty-five years ago when he made the long journey all the way from Canada to visit us in Texas. What I remember most from that visit was his energy — the kind that fills a room without effort. He had this vibrant, joyful presence that made you want to pull up a chair and just listen.
And listen we did.Peter had a gift for storytelling. He talked about his time living in Italy as an English teacher — the places, the people, the small daily discoveries that make life abroad so rich. He shared funny and tender stories about his students, the kind that revealed how genuinely he paid attention to the people around him. And then, almost seamlessly, he would shift into wondering aloud about what was next — which country, which classroom, which new chapter was waiting for him.
That curiosity about life was the thing that struck me most. He wasn’t just passing through the world — he was tasting it, turning it over in his hands, always eager for more.
Peter was a happy person. Genuinely, openly happy. And that kind of happiness is a gift to everyone near it. I am so glad we got to know him, even across the miles and the years. He reminded us that a life lived with curiosity and warmth is a life very well lived.
He will be remembered with a smile.
Being named after your dad, Pall, has always meant a lot to me. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized how special that is because I know how much your family roots meant to you. I’m proud to carry that name.
You knew so much about so many things. I learned a lot just by talking with you, and I loved hearing your stories. You also had good sense of humour. Your jokes never got old, even the ones you’d told a hundred times. I’m also going to really miss your firm handshakes you would give,
I’m really grateful for all the trips we shared together. Those are memories I’ll keep always.
Thank you for always taking an interest in my life and for believing in me. I wish you could have seen what’s next for me. I’ll do my best to make you proud.
I love you, Grandpa. I’ll miss you so much.
Love,
Pall
I send my sincere condolences to all of you in the Osrunn family.
Last summer I had the opportunity to visit you in Ottawa. I was just coming from the wedding of my friends Ollie and Naomi, who quite naturally became your friends as well shortly thereafter. I remember the excitement with which you showed me around Ottawa on Canada Day, and your ebullience in meeting my newlywed friends.
During that visit, the two of us spent about two hours sitting in front of my field recorder discussing family history. When I listen back to this recording, I'm struck by how much life so many of our long dead ancestors have. Family narratives and minute details from a century ago remain vivid, and make a sense of the present which would otherwise be lost.
While I'm glad I have this recording, I'm deeply thankful for having had you in my life. Our frequent phone calls consisted mostly of our many recurring jokes but the care and affection behind them was not lost on me. It is in large part thanks to your frequent encouragement that I'll going to law school in the Fall, albeit not in North Dakota as you frequently advised.
I'll miss you Uncle Peter, but there's quite a lot to remember.
~Abraham
Peter was an excellent writer and extremely articulate speaker. Obviously a super intelligent and well-educated man. For fun, he would write up fairly lengthy, humourous pieces, for example about how my husband and I should buy a property - specifically a Maine seaside property - featured in the NYT real estate section, and allow Ann Manor residents to vacation there for free. (Peter and I shared an interest in Maine, as I grew up there, and his ex-wife was from that state.) Most recently he wrote up a bit about starting a "clean patio campaign" for the building. He had a strong sense of mischief in him, and enjoyed "nominating" me or another lucky person to take on this or that real or imagined task.
Gerður Harpa, Auður Freyja and Sólveig Guðfinna
Several years ago we agreed to exchange my Economist Magazine for his New York Sunday Times. This arrangement continued for years, with him specifying the distribution list of his newspaper, while I made no such stipulations in return. This arrangement continued until recently, when I felt the necessity to switch to the on-line version due to sporadic delivery service by Canada Post. Despite this, Peter continued to deliver his newspaper to me, and I am flattered that he kept me as number 1 on the distribution list. Thank you Peter.
Before he had a doctor who made house calls, he had a lady who tutored him in the German language. This lady also made house calls. Peter was good at time management.
It has been a great pleasure to know this classy, joyful master of good conversation.
To his close family, I am so very sorry for your loss.
I will always treasure the chats with you over the phone over these many years and the lengthy emails we used to send back and forth when I was in my University days. You always had many interesting things to say and made me laugh often.
You were a very generous and thoughtful person who loved to send gifts. I cherish everything you have ever sent me. I'm happy you were able to meet my son last summer and even though you won't get to meet my little girl when she is born I'm happy I was able to share the news with you about her and that she was able to receive a few gifts from you that I will be able to tell her in the future were from her Great Grandpa Peter.
Rest easy Grandpa ❤️
You were so much more than my grandfather—you were a dear friend. Although you lived in Ottawa and I was in Edmonton, you never allowed the distance to define our relationship. You made every effort to stay connected, whether it was to hear what was happening in my life or, just as often, to ask what on earth my mother could possibly be doing that was important enough to keep her from answering your calls. Those phone calls became one of the greatest gifts of our relationship.
I valued every moment we spent talking. You possessed an incredible depth of knowledge, and as I grew older, I came to appreciate your wisdom more with each passing year. Every visit to Ottawa was thoughtfully planned with one of your famous itineraries, something I looked forward to every time. We would spend hours visiting over a glass of Gewürztraminer, your favourite wine, creating memories I will hold close forever.
Your sense of humour was one of your greatest gifts. No one could tell a joke quite the way you could, and over the years I even began writing them down because I never wanted to forget them.
One of the greatest joys of this past year was watching the friendship that developed between you and my boyfriend, Tony. The two of you exchanged countless emails, and before long many of your calls to me seemed to have one purpose—to speak with Tony. There was always another aviation question to discuss, and you never gave up on your mission to convince him to have Gordon Lightfoot's Alberta Bound played over the aircraft's PA system every time a flight landed in Alberta.
I will always smile when I think about your annual "gifts." Whether you were returning from a vacation or visiting Edmonton, you would proudly tell me you had brought something back for me, only to present the hotel soap or lotion from your room. It became our little tradition, and one that will forever make me smile.
Another memory I will carry with me is hearing you say, "Penny for your thoughts, my dear," whenever a quiet moment settled into our conversations. No matter how many times you said those words, they never failed to brighten my day. I will also never forget your strong, reassuring hand holds—a simple gesture that spoke volumes about your love.
Grandpa, I miss you more than words can express. Thank you for your love, your wisdom, your wit, and for making every moment together so meaningful. I will carry our memories with me for the rest of my life and remain forever grateful for the friendship we shared.
I love you dearly and will miss you always.
For years, we FaceTimed almost every day while I made supper. He would be sitting down with whatever he was having for dinner, I’d be cooking, and there would usually be the wonderful chaos of our family happening in the background. We’d compare meals, laugh, tease each other, and catch up on whatever had happened that day. Those conversations became one of my favourite parts of the day.
Because of those calls, Peter knew so many of our friends and our children’s friends. They would wander through the kitchen, wave hello, and before long they all knew “Grandpa Peter.” He loved speaking French with the boys, and it always made me smile to hear them chatting together. He also absolutely adored Alissandra, who made a point of visiting him several times over the past couple of years. Those visits meant so much to him.
We were fortunate to make wonderful memories travelling together as a family to Montreal, Hawaii, and St. Thomas. This July we were supposed to be travelling to Iceland and Denmark, a trip we had talked about for so long. It breaks my heart that we won’t make that journey together.
Peter appreciated beautiful things. He had wonderful taste and always noticed the little details. I loved teasing him, and he was always a good sport, usually smiling right back at me.
Over the years, he became much more than my father-in-law. He was my friend. I loved him dearly, and I had hoped that one day he would move into an in-law suite with our family so we could share even more of life’s ordinary moments together.
Peter leaves behind an empty chair, but also countless memories that will always make me smile. I will miss our daily calls, our conversations, our laughter, and simply having him be part of our everyday life.
Thank you, Peter. It was such a privilege to love you and to be loved by you.
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