John McDonald

John is survived by one brother Austin “Aussie”, two sons Craig (Tracy), Todd (Ashley), three grandchildren (Makayla, Winnifred, Malcolm), and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews. Predeceased by siblings Isabel, Gerard, Mabel, Anne, Donald, wife of 49 years, Pat, and son Kevin.

John grew up in New Glasgow, NS and excelled in school and athletics, once striking out 17 of 18 opposing baseball players. He attended St. Francis Xavier University and received an Honors degree in Economics. John lived with relatives and spent countless hours watching after and playing with his beloved nieces and nephews. After graduation, John moved to Montreal to work for Bell Laboratories, where he met his wife, Pat. They eventually moved to New Jersey for a two-year contract with AT&T and ended up staying for 19 years. While there, John was active in his church and various charitable and service organizations. One of our favorite memories is playing catch with Dad in the front yard before Little League games. He didn’t miss many. During this time Dad also completed a Masters in Economics at PACE University.

Eventually John and his family returned home to Nova Scotia, settling in Bedford. Dad became an entrepreneur and was an owner or partner in several companies before retiring to take care of his ailing wife. Dad embraced the entrepreneurial spirit so much he even had ENTRPNR on his license plate [TM1.1].

To say dad was generous does not do him justice. Instead of giving you the shirt off his back, he would rather buy you a new wardrobe [TM2.1]. He devoted countless hours to charitable causes, volunteering, advocating, and mentoring; always putting others before himself. His granddaughter fondly remembers walking downtown and handing out gift cards to anyone he thought deserved them. Dad’s actions were always done anonymously; to him it was about the cause, not the donor.

In addition to being a hands-on and supportive, loving Father, John was also a devoted husband. While in NJ, Dad supported Pat in going back to school to become a nurse. In later years, within days of learning of her cancer diagnosis, he resigned ownership of Seimac to devote fulltime care to her. John supported Pat through her fourteen-year battle against cancer, donating endlessly and helping any way he could.

John was a thinker, quiet and calm, yet quick with a joke or his favorite pun. He enjoyed travelling the world with Pat, golfing with his three boys, and playing bridge. He was never far from a newspaper or The Economist, yet rarely read books. His favorite place on Earth was the cottage at Melmerby Beach that he and Pat lovingly remodelled over the years. He enjoyed tending to his flowers and fruit trees, socializing with neighbors and family and having a few Alexander Keith’s. Simply put, he would do anything for anyone.

Visitation will be held in J.A. Snow Funeral Home, 339 Lacewood Drive, Halifax from 5-8 P.M. on Monday June 15th. Funeral service will be in St. Ignatius Church in Bedford at 9:30 A.M. on Tuesday June 16th, with reception to follow. Family flowers only. Donations can be made to causes dear to Dad’s heart, Ovarian Cancer Canada, Alzheimer’s Society, Give To Live, Chalice, or a charity of your choice.