If you live in Victoria, there’s a good chance you’ve seen, if not had a conversation with, Peter Verin.
Verin was a staple in the post-secondary community, living on the grounds of the University of Victoria for many years.
Verin was known for carrying a large amount of items around with him in his shopping cart, including lots of reading material; he was always happy to stop and talk philosophy or some other academic matter, and he always wanted to learn about what the other person had to say.
When I did a radio show at CFUV at UVic as a teenager, Verin was often hanging around and was always a pleasure to stop and chat with. Even as time went on and we didn’t cross paths for sometimes years at a time, Verin would always remember my name and stop me with a smile.
Going back even earlier than that, I’d see Verin when I was a kid, and he would always be happy to stop and talk, even though the lessons he was giving me were going way over my head.
This month, Verin died the day before he turned 72 after being taken to the hospital for a fall. His charming demeanour and encyclopedic knowledge will be missed; the lesson he leaves behind about living life on your own terms will not be forgotten.
There is a makeshift memorial for Verin up at a bus stop at Quadra and McKenzie. A memorial will take place at noon on Thursday, January 19 on the grounds of the Telus building on that same corner.
Post-secondary in Victoria will never be the same without Verin.
I remember Peter holding court in the basement cafeteria of the old SUB at UVic while I was there in the early 1990s. Fresh young minds were schooled and broadened by this man who proved that one should never judge a book by its cover. RIP Peter.