Pursue Your Passion
Hear from two Perley Health residents about their journey with therapeutic recreation.
Meet Jack Dods
During World War II, Jack Dods flew 60 missions with the Royal Air Force’s 233 Squadron. Dods hunted U-boats over the Bay of Biscay, and made relief and supply flights into battle zones in Normandy, the Falaise Pocket and Arnhem. A Veteran of D-Day, Dods' plane was later shot down over Belgium and mortared while on the ground at Normandy.
Jack has been a resident at Perley Health for 3+ years and he now memorializes his incredible war experience in paintings that decorate the walls. “It’s a great way to keep busy,” sums up Jack. “It brings back memories and makes you think about things that happened in the past and what lead up to it. Putting paint on a board makes me happy. It’s as simple as that.”
- Read Jack's story at Ottawa Citizen
Meet Jim Peck
As a young man living in Montreal, Jim joined the McGill chapter of the Canadian Officer Training Corps and was later assigned to logistics with a new service known as Ferry Command (see sidebar). Ferry Command delivered warplanes manufactured in North America to Europe and other theatres of war. Later in life, he moved to Ottawa to be near his grandchildren then moved in to Perley Health.
During his 3 years here, Jim loved clay modeling. “It’s something that I never did before and never knew I had an aptitude for,” said Jim. “Clay is a wonderful medium to work with and you can make all sorts of mistakes and repair them. It keeps you happy and you get to meet new people. It’s the best thing you can do for yourself.”
Jim passed away in 2018 but he left an exhibition of his clay originals to inspire others.
- Read more about Jim Peck's story at Between Us Briefly.
Watch Our Video
Try This at Home
- You can make your own modelling clay at home or buy play doh. Working the clay with your hands is great for improving dexterity as well as the cognitive functioning to create your masterpiece!
- Many stores sell a variety of painting supplies. Use pencil to draw a design or you can also go online to print a picture. Paint your artwork using watercolour, acrylic, or any type of craft paint.
Learn More
- Learn more about Jim Peck on the Perley Health Newsletter
- Learn more about Jack Dods on the Perley Health Newsletter
- Instructor biographies coming soon - stay tuned!
Thank you for watching. If you have any questions or comments please Contact Us.
'Pursue your passion'
Posted By Genevieve H on 10/29/2018 10:20:03 AM
Excellent, interesting, engaging and at age 83 made me want to get involved myself and help others to do so!
Re: 'Pursue your passion'
Posted By Perley Health Active Seniors on 7/28/2022 9:11:38 AM
Thank you for your feedback Genevieve!
Glad to hear you are motivated to be involved, we encourage all our followers to Stay Active, Stay Healthy!!