Alexander Joseph "Sandy" MacDonald

MacDonald, Alexander “Sandy” Joseph-91, of Dartmouth, passed away at the Dartmouth General Hospital on May 14, 2014. He and his twin sister, Mary Carmel were born in the Antigonish Hospital on September 24, 1922 and were the children of the late Alexander Ignatius MacDonald (of Alpine Ridge) and Catherine “Katie” Beaton (of Mabou). He was raised in a Gaelic speaking household and learned to speak English when he started school. He was raised on the family farm on Alpine Ridge, Inverness County until the family moved to Dartmouth about 1930, where he has resided ever since. He graduated from St. Mary’s College with a Bachelor of Science degree and subsequently served in the Merchant Marine until the end of the Second World War. He married Rita Catherine Reno in 1948. He retired from the National Harbours Board (now the Port of Halifax) in 1987. He was a quiet man of great faith and integrity. He taught us the meaning of family and the value of a sense of humour. He is survived by his children, Anna MacDonald, Dartmouth, Paula MacDonald (Terry Dalton), Toronto, ON, John MacDonald (Carol), Cow Bay, Colleen Lynch (George), Marian MacDonald, Lorraine Micallef (David), all of Dartmouth; daughter-in-law, Beverly ( Johnson) MacDonald. He is also survived by grandchildren, Lee Dixon (Pam Simpson), Dean MacDonald (Tammy McCormick), Deanna Murphy, Erin Ferguson (Pat), Alexander Lynch (Tamara Smith), Tony Micallef, Katie Micallef, Robert MacDonald; six great grandchildren, Eliah McCormick-MacDonald, Aidan, Claire and Meaghan Ferguson, Maya and Maleah Murray; sisters-in-law, Maureen Corrigan and Mary Reno; brother-in-law, Ken Reno; as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins. He was predeceased by his wife Rita, in 1990; two sons, Bob (1984) and Donald (2009) and sister, Mary Carmel Patterson (1996). A special thank you to Dr. J.V. Banks for his care and kindness to Dad. As well, thank you to the Red Cross workers who treated him with such Dignity. Visitation will be held from 2-4 and 7-9pm Friday May 16, in A.L. Mattatall Funeral Home, 217 Portland Street, Dartmouth, NS. Funeral service will take place at 10am Saturday May 17, from St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church, 10 Maple Street, Dartmouth. Burial will be in Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Lower Sackville. Family flowers only. in lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to a charity of choice. As Dad always said “That’s what you get….” Beannach leibh.

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