John Cooney Mullally

Age 90, John Cooney Mullally, of Halifax, passed away peacefully at home, February 7, 2021, with his family by his side. Born in Gowan Brae, PEI, on November 28, 1930, he was the son of the late George and Mary Jane Mullally, and husband of Claire Mullally (nee Burge) for 63 years.

John is survived by his children: George (Catherine Martin), Alfred (Gina MacAdam), Marie (Wayne Crawley), Michael (Marie Morrell) and John Peter (Nicole Yans), his grandchildren: Erin, Sean, John Willis, Morgan, Miranda, Ryan and Michael, and his great-grandson Colton. Also survived by brothers: Joseph, Winnipeg, Manitoba, George, Gowan Brae, PEI, Sinnott, Gowan Brae, PEI, and his many nephews and nieces. He was predeceased by his beloved sister Ellen Callaghan.

Dad was first and foremost a dedicated and loving family man. This became even more evident after his retirement in 1993 when he was able to spend substantially more time with his grandchildren, acting in many different capacities: chauffeur, lunch-maker, babysitter, professor, friend, confidante and money lender (although he never saw a dime returned). Although Dad proudly received his BA from Saint Dunstan’s University in 1953, he has been unofficially accredited with at least a couple of other undergraduate degrees (and a few diplomas for good measure) due to his timely assistance with his kids’ and grandkids’ assignments and papers – even though it took some effort to decipher his ‘chicken scratch’.

The majority of Dad’s working career was spent in public service, most recently holding several Deputy Minister positions in the Nova Scotia government: Natural Resources, Municipal Affairs, and Fisheries. Prior to his time in Halifax, he was the Executive Assistant to the Federal Minister of Environment, Director of Federal-Provincial Relations for PEI and the Liberal Member of Parliament for Eastern Kings PEI, from 1963-1965, serving under Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson.

Dad was a gentleman in every sense of the word – kind, courteous, giving, gracious, humble, honourable, and honest – and he had an incredibly gentle soul. He always had something positive to say about everyone and everything. Dad was well known for his epic walks, which required those of us who were accompanying him to run along at a brisk jog to keep up. He also had a reputation as an inspiring singer, particularly in church, even though he had some difficulty carrying a tune. Dad had a quiet but very strong faith and assisted in a variety of capacities in the Halifax parish of Saint Lawrence, and later Saint Benedict, as well as volunteering for the St. Vincent de Paul Society. He was also a member of the Souris Lions Club and Knights of Columbus. Dad was also proud of his Irish heritage and made several trips back to the Emerald Isle to learn more about his ancestry and meet relatives. On one occasion making a twenty-four-hour pilgrimage from London to Mullinahone, Ireland to help pour Guinness during a local festival.

A public visitation will be held at J.A. Snow Funeral Home, 339 Lacewood Drive, Halifax, on Sunday, February 14 from 2:00 – 5:00 PM. Funeral mass will be held at Saint Benedict Parish Church, 45 Radcliffe Drive, Halifax, on Tuesday, February 16, at 9:30am, and will follow all COVID-19 protocols. Those wishing to attend are asked to pre-register with Snow’s Funeral Home at 902-455-0531. Burial mass and interment will take place in Souris, PEI at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Saint Vincent de Paul Charity of Saint Benedict Parish, 45 Radcliffe Drive, Halifax, NS, B3M 0E1 or St. Alexis Cemetery Fund, of St. Mary's Parish, Souris, PE, C0A 2B0.

To leave an on-line condolence, please visit www.jasnowfuneralhome.com. For sympathy cards, please mail to 78 Woodward Crescent, Halifax, NS, B3M 1J7, c/o Claire Mullally.