Bishop Jack Peck, retired suffragan bishop of the diocese of Huron, has died at age 92.
Peck served in the diocese of Huron for fifty years, beginning in 1956 with his post as an assistant curate at the now-closed Church of the Redeemer in London, Ont., through rector positions in several parishes, up to his role as a suffragan bishop. He died June 30 in Windsor, Ont.
During his tenure as a suffragan bishop from 1990 to 1997, Peck worked closely with fellow suffragan bishop Bob Townshend and diocesan bishop Percy O’Driscoll. The three called themselves The Three Musketeers, says Townshend’s son, Bishop Todd Townshend, current bishop of the diocese of Huron. He remembers Peck providing the quieter, more contemplative presence in the trio.
“He had a tremendous ability to teach people about prayer, and that came from his own very deep and broad understanding of prayer life,” says Townshend.
Through prayer ministry and teaching, he says, Peck communicated a deep concern for all who fell under his care as a bishop. Often he would check in with people on things in their life that he had promised to pray for months or years after he originally heard about them, demonstrating the sincerity of his intent.
Archdeacon Jane Humphreys, who worked with Peck for years at St. Mary’s Anglican Church in Walkerville, Ont. agrees. “If Jack said he was praying for you, you were guaranteed some awesome praying.”
Both Townshend and Humphreys also mentioned his love of his motorcycle, which he rode for years with a group of other clergy Humphreys says called themselves The Circuit Riders. He would often roll up to a church on his bike, doff his helmet and switch from riding leathers to his clergy garb on the way into the synod office in London, she says.
Peck also knew a great deal of loss in his life; his wife Shirley, a son and a grandchild all predeceased him. Here, Humphries says, Peck showed the grace of God remarkably in his own life.
“He just seemed with tremendous grace and love to come through that as a more loving person. Quite remarkable,” she says.
Likewise, Townshend says he observed both Peck’s impressive capacity to care for others and to receive care with humility himself, abilities which he seemed to inspire in others by example.
