In Memoriam: Major Dave Peabody, The Military Museums

The Canadian flag on campus at Swann Mall is lowered to half-mast today, paying tribute to a long-standing community partner at The Military Museums (TMM) in southwest Calgary. TMM’s director, an alum, friend and colleague, Dave Peabody, died in an off-duty climbing accident on Dec. 26, 2024. 

UCalgary has a decades-long partnership with TMM, operating a branch library and archives, as well as Founders’ Gallery, all managed by Libraries and Cultural Resources.   

Dave was instrumental in realizing recent successes for this partnership, including directing a new governance structure for stakeholders, and expanding community engagement for UCalgary’s programming at TMM. 

Mary-Jo Romaniuk, UCalgary’s vice-provost for Libraries and Cultural Resources, pays tribute to Major Peabody, noting “his exceptional leadership at TMM, particularly his ability to bring all TMM’s partners together for the common good and elevate the importance of TMM in the greater community. His support for education and research was unwavering.”  

Romaniuk adds that “he was a true friend of the University of Calgary, and his remarkable commitment to community and service will stand as a lasting legacy.”   

Major Peabody is remembered as a highly capable, well-liked leader at Canada’s largest military museum facility in Western Canada, and as a widely respected officer in the Canadian Armed Forces.  

As a community builder throughout Calgary and beyond, Dave’s commitment to education, diversity, recreation, and military service made a positive difference in the lives of many people. 

David Arthur Peabody was born on Sept. 18, 1976, and went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in history from the University of New Brunswick. Graduate studies followed, with Dave earning a master's degree from UCalgary’s Centre for Military, Security and Strategic Studies. 

In 2007 he joined the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Regiment (PPCLI) as an officer, serving as a captain and platoon leader in Afghanistan from 2011 to 2012.  

Major Peabody’s career embraced diverse approaches to military culture and humanity. One week he would be helping fight wildfires in Jasper, and the next week he’d be helping plan the opening reception for a UCalgary exhibition of war art. 

When not working, Dave was always keen to be outdoors and known particularly for his climbing, for which his family notes that he scaled hundreds of routes across Canada, New Zealand, Japan, Spain, Italy, France, Austria, Cuba, Greece, Mexico, and beyond.  

The American Alpine Journal credited Dave and Alik Berg in 2021 with a new rock-climbing route for Corner Story (5.11, 450m) on Mount Robertson. Dave also completed an impressive ascent of the MacIntyre/Colton route on the north face of Grandes Jorasses, one of his proudest moments. 

A celebration of life will be held on Jan. 25, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. at Calgary’s Mewata Armory. A reception will follow at Eden Brook Funeral Home from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Casual dress is encouraged for the reception. Please bring your favourite stories of Dave to share.