Cecil Lloyd Jackson

JACKSON, Cecil Lloyd “Cec” 74 of Halifax, passed away peacefully Friday, November 11th at his home in Parkland at the Gardens, closely cared for by his daughter and supportive staff. Born in Halifax, he was the son of the late John “Tom” and Vera (Husbands) Jackson.

Upon finishing school, Cecil worked as a CNR porter and then with Pitney-Bowes, National Cash Register, the NS Liquor Commission and Public Works Canada from which he retired in 1996.

“Cec” was an avid and distinguished sportsman playing hockey, baseball and softball, on some of Halifax’s greatest teams during the 50s, 60s and 70s – a fixture at the Halifax Forum, Commons and Canada Games Diamond. Recreationally he also enjoyed basketball, pool and snooker. As a fast and smooth skating left wing he had strong puck handling and scoring ability. He played Bantam to Junior in Halifax Minor Hockey winning a Maritime Midget Championship with the Monarchs in 1957 and the Maritime Juvenile Championship with the Keizer’s Jets in 1960.

His early competitive ball career began with the Halifax Rangers, a nearly all-Black junior team and the predecessor of “the trailblazing Vaughn Furriers that transcended the social and racial divide” winning the Maritime Junior Baseball Championship in 1962. This team was inducted into the NS Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002, the subject of the 2007 CTV documentary, “Colour Blind”, and the 2008 book entitled, “The Boys of ’62: transcending the racial divide”. The Furriers’ Classics Team was the first NS team to compete in the Roy Hobbs World Series of Baseball in November 2008, in Florida.

Batting an average .400 against many all-star pitchers, Cecil “hit the ball where it was pitched and hit it hard” winning batting titles and a home run crown. Successes included playing with the ‘63 Keith’s Brewery and ’65 Mahar’s Senior ‘A’ Softball champions and the Dairy Queen team which represented Nova Scotia at the national championships 1970-76, winning bronze and silver metals.

Following a competitive sports career, Cecil played recreational Legion softball, coached atom hockey and intermediate softball teams and umpired for more than 20 years. During his youth, Cecil was a member of the Reserves and later held associate memberships with The Royal Canadian Legion and the Army Navy Airforce Club-unit 373.

Cecil will be missed by sons, Cecil Blair, New Brunswick; and Adrian Wade Jones, Halifax; daughter Natasha, Halifax; sister, Shirley Richards, Winnipeg; adopted brother, Austin Lucas; and loving nieces, nephews and numerous other family members; lifetime friends, David Downey, Cyril Maxwell, Wilfred Jackson and Harold Adams and many other dear friends and team mates. Besides his parents, he was predeceased by brother, Leonard and sisters, Joan and Sylvia.

Visitations will take place 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, November 15th and a Celebration of Life on Wednesday, November 16th at 1 p.m. all from J. A. Snow Funeral Home, 339 Lacewood Dr. Interment to follow at Fairview Cemetery.

A sincere thank you is extended to all of those who have supported us and provided kind and loving care to Cecil, particularly over the past few weeks. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Kidney Foundation of Canada.