Peter Koehli, 71, of Orillia - born and raised, the son of the late Fred and Edith Koehli, immigrants from Germany - passed away suddenly on Sunday, August 16, 2026, surrounded by his family. He had fallen ill the day before while competing in the Orillia Tennis Club Men's Singles Tournament: on a court, racket in hand, doing what he loved.

Tennis was Peter's life. He played and taught the game for more than 50 years, and anyone who shared a court with him saw the joy it gave him. A gifted athlete who excelled at every sport he tried, Peter was, at heart, a teacher. He spent over 30 years teaching elementary school, and he never really stopped teaching - through five decades of coaching in Orillia, and at home, where he taught his son, Eric, everything he knows about the game. The years the two of them spent sharing a court - the lessons, the tournaments, the league matches, the wins and the losses - were among the proudest of Peter's life.

Peter was the hardest-working person his family ever knew. He was out in the yard after his morning coffee with his wife Heather and still at it when the sun went down, every single day - and all of it was for his family. He did everything for Heather and Eric, and never asked for anything in return. Peter had a kind and pure heart: it never mattered to him who you were or what you did - he treated everyone exactly the same, he simply wanted to get to know you, and he would help anyone in need.

Peter was a loving and dedicated husband to Heather and father to Eric (Jennifer). He is also survived by his sisters, Helga Rinneard and Christel Ennis; by Heather's sister, Kendal Alison, and her husband, Steven Alison, who were very close to Peter and his family; and by his nieces and nephews - Helga's children, Trisha and David, and Christel's children, Mardi and Ryan - to whom he was a loving uncle.

A celebration of Peter's life will be held at Hawk Ridge Golf Club in Orillia on Sunday, September 13, 2026, at 1 p.m., with speeches beginning at 2 p.m. All who knew Peter are warmly welcome.

In Peter's memory, the next time you play - whatever the game, whatever the score - walk off grateful you got to play, as he always did.