Peter Ian McGilvray Scott

Peter grew up in Amherst. He attended Acadia Street School, Spring Street School, and Amherst Regional High School (1961). As a youth, he enjoyed reading and participating in army cadets and scouts. He loved playing sports, especially gymnastics, soccer, scuba diving, figure skating (he was once the Amherst Skating Club champion), hockey, badminton, and golf. He spent many a summer at Tidnish and playing golf with his Aunt Ava and Uncle Carl in Moncton, NB. Peter never met an animal that he didn’t like, and he loved his pets, especially Spot, Jumbo, Freddie the Fox, Boo Boo, and Pinto.

He attended Mount Allison University and St. Mary’s University (B. Comm, cum laude, 1966), where he won the Birks Medal and was made a member of Alpha Sigma Nu. In 1966, he married his high school sweetheart, Charlotte Ann Smith. Peter picked up playing the guitar, and he and Charlotte enjoyed having friends over for jam sessions. In 1969, he earned his Chartered Accountant designation, placing second in the provincial exams. He began his accounting career with Coopers & Lybrand. In 1971 he became a sole practitioner and formed the partnership Scott & Meretsky with Harvey Meretsky in 1972. In 1975, Scott & Meretsky merged with Laventhol & Horwath, giving the firm a coast to coast Canadian presence. Further mergers took Peter to Ernst & Ernst and Ernst & Whinney in Nova Scotia. Peter and Charlotte enjoyed traveling to partners’ meetings in England, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, and Norway.

In 1985, Peter became the National Computer Audit partner for the national office of Ernst & Whinney in Toronto. Peter and Charlotte moved to Etobicoke, Ontario the following year, and they spent ten years in the big city. More mergers made him a partner in Thorne Ernst & Whinney and Peat Marwick Thorne accounting firms. Peter then returned to being a sole practitioner and taught accounting courses at Humber College. In 1997, Peter and Charlotte returned to Dartmouth.

Peter loved sailing and kept his sailboats, Glooscap and Kooseboose, at the Dartmouth Yacht Club where he was a lifetime member. He and his family enjoyed many a Wednesday night race in the Bedford Basin. He loved his cars, especially Bessie, (his ’34 Ford with the rumble seat), the green Hornet, The Beast (his supped-up Renault rally car), Lily (a white Ford), Uncle Carl’s Caddy, Fred (an ’84 Chrysler LeBaron executive sedan), a Willy’s Jeep, a Toyota Land Cruiser, and Tessie I and Tessie II (Tesla Model 3s). He thoroughly enjoyed Tesla full self driving! He also loved photography and walking. He participated in the annual Natal Day Race, once winning first place in his age group. He also was a volunteer for the Epic. Helping others learn their profession was important to Peter, and he enjoyed being a volunteer patient for Dalhousie School of Medicine.

Peter is survived by his wife, Charlotte; his daughter Catherine (Brian) McCabe of Powder Springs, Georgia, his son Ronald (Jane) of East Jeddore; grandchildren Charlotte (Chris), Megan, Thomas, Kevin, and Jason; sister Anne Henwood; niece Cheryl (Drew) Rees, nephew Todd (Karen) Henwood; and sister-in-law Margaret Smith. He was predeceased by his parents, his brother Alexander, his parents-in-law Ronald P. and Kathleen Smith, and his brother-in-law, Floyd Henwood.

A Celebration of Life will take place on May 3rd, 2025, at Mattatall Funeral Home in Dartmouth (217 Portland Street, visitation at 2 p.m. and service at 3 p.m.). Burial will take place this summer in Amherst.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in memory of Peter to Mark Preece House in Hamilton, Ontario, the VON of Nova Scotia, Hope for Wildlife, or a charity of your choice.