John Ambrose Mc Cabe

       When John Ambrose Mc Cabe walked into the room, those in his company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who John was and how he impacted those around him. John was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if John wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. John was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve him well throughout his life.

John was born on February 6, 1939 at East York General Hospital in Toronto, Ontario. He was the son of Luke and Sarah McCabe. John was raised in Toronto, Ontario. Always at the ready with a good joke, he grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew John might describe him as an idealist, his friends and family understood well that John was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to him.

John was raised with 10 siblings, Jimmy (deceased), Maisy (deceased), Luke, Gerry, Sally (deceased), Sheila, Mike (deceased), Paddy, Maureen (deceased), Brian. John was very accepting and supportive of his family. He was perceived as the central person in his family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, John was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served John well in his adult life and, along with his wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew him.

As a young boy, John was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew him into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. John was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with his peers. He was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. John took part in Hockey. He was a Boy Scout. In his spare time he liked getting into mischief. John had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity he and the many childhood friends he shared might discover.

With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought him an endless stream of friends, John was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, John was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. He always seemed aware of what was going on with people around him and throughout his life he made many, many friends. While growing up, some of his best friends included his brother Gerry. Later in life, he became best friends with his wife Margaret. John enjoyed many years of close relationships with Cliff and Helen, Brenda, Renee, Shirley, Sue and Mike, Jeff and Janet and family, Bill and Gail, Frank and Judy. If you were a friend of John’s, you were a lifelong friend.

On July 26, 1958 John married Margaret Francis McNeil at St. Dunstance in Toronto. John's skill at “building bridges” played an important role in his ability to make his new family happy. He was quite sensitive towards Margaret's needs, showing his constant concern and fondness. John was tenderhearted and sensitive, two qualities that served him well in helping to nurture his family.

John was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide his family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For John, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of his life. Every activity, from chores to bedtime routines, became a game in the Mc Cabe home. John's skill at understanding his children's feelings, his sensitivity to their needs, and his gift for gentle persuasion enabled him to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up. John was blessed with 4 children, Larry, Debby, Kevin (deceased) and Kara. He was doubly blessed with 3 grandchildren, Sean, David and Margaret, and 3 great grandchildren, Jane, Bennett and Amelia. Later in life, John welcomed Tammy into his family along with husband Darren and chosen grand-daughters Jade and Alyssa.

John was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made him an exceptional worker. He was employed for 25 years at Silverwoods as a Home service foreman. Retiring from Beatrice Dairy. John was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize him. John had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of his gift for insight. John's fellow workers saw him as a supporter and a mentor.

Because John loved to have a broad variety of activities in his life, he took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. His favorite pursuits were wood working, junk collecting, and refinishing antique furniture. He loved his small animal farm. He enjoyed training, racing and traveling with the greyhound dogs. John had a knack for being able to multitask in order to create time for all of his favorite pastimes. However, John's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.

John derived much satisfaction from participating in and watching sports. His charisma, supportive nature and ability to improvise when called upon to do so all made perfect attributes for enjoying a great many sporting activities. Recreational sports included coaching son Larry's hockey team. John was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were Hockey and Wrestling.

Throughout his life, John was actively involved in professional and community organizations. He was compassionate, accommodating and quick to move into action. Always able to build a consensus, John seemed to be the person smack dab in the middle of things, working to get things done. Those who had the opportunity to work with John usually agreed that when you were involved in an organization with him, it was as entertaining as anything you could imagine. Throughout his later years, John was an active member, together with his brother Brian in the Greyhound Association.

John's love of improvising in his daily life was a perfect fit for his enjoyment of traveling. His favorite vacations were ones that were not planned. Traveling in a casual manner fit his personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer, John took his vacations seriously, well, as seriously as he possibly could. Favorite vacations included Nova Scotia, Alberta, Cuba and Ireland.

John was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. Max the Shih Tzu dog, Brandy the Australian Sheppard, Jack the Donkey. His pet family was rounded out by his Miniature Horse, goats, sheep, and chickens and at one point, a pot belly pig.

When John's retirement finally came in 1995, John handled it the way he usually did. He adapted and, like everything in his life, made it satisfying. Because he was such a flexible person and able to adjust to any situation, retirement was just another enjoyable change of pace for John to master. His new life involved relocating from the town of Ajax to Campbellcroft then to Clarington. In retirement, he found new pleasure in Wood working and greyhound dogs. Even in retirement, John continued to stay in touch with his old friends and like always, made plenty of new ones.

John Mc Cabe passed away on Friday, July 22, 2022 at Bowmanville Hospital. While residing in long term care, he choked on his food and Aspirated causing his death. Services were held at Courtice Funeral Chapel. John was laid to rest in Resurrection Catholic Cemetery. (with his wife Margaret 1994 and Son Kevin 1999)

There was always a certain style and inventiveness to John. He was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. He had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While he was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to John Mc Cabe for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. John was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with his loved ones. After the passing of his beloved wife in 1994, John openly accepted the role of both Mother and Father to support his children and their families. He will be sadly missed by all who knew him and remembered for all he was to everyone.

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MCCABE, John Ambrose

Passed away on Friday, July 22, 2022 at the age of 83. Treasured son of the late Luke and Sarah McCabe. Beloved husband of the late Margaret. Loving father of Larry, Debby, Kara (Anthony) and the late Kevin. Poppy will be lovingly remembered by his grandchildren Sean, Margaret (James) and David, as well as his great grandchildren Bennett, Jane, and Amelia. Dear brother to Luke (Lois), Garry (Alma), Sheila, Paddy-Joe, and Brian. Predeceased by Jimmy, Maisy, Sally, Mike and Maureen.

Sadly missed by his chosen extended family and cherished friends and daughter Tammy (Darren) and granddaughters Jade and Alyssa.

John will be missed by his many in-laws, his nieces, nephews and his many longtime friends.

Visitation will be held on Friday, July 29th at 11:30am at the Courtice Funeral Chapel and the service will follow at 1:30pm. The burial will be at Resurrection Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Society.

Online condolences may be left at [email protected]

The Funeral Service will be Livestreamed using the following link:

https://funeraweb.tv/diffusions/57693

Interment Resurrection Cemetery, Whitby