With gratitude for a life well lived and love shared, William (Bill) Alexander Jamael passed away peacefully on May 11, 2021, age 83, at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital. He was predeceased by his parents, Abraham (Abe) and Margaret (MacNeil) Jamael. Bill was born in Sydney, NS and grew up on Union Street. He attended local schools in Sydney and graduated from Sydney Academy. He went on to attend St. Francis Xavier University and graduated with a B.Sc., B.Ed. and continued his M.Ed studies. He taught in schools in Sydney and Whitney Pier for many years until his retirement as Principal of Colby - St. Joseph’s Elementary School, Sydney in 1995.
Bill married the love of his life, Mary (Williams) in 1961. They began a life together raising a family of five children in their home of 58 years in Sydney. The most memorable family vacation was in 1970 when Bill and Mary set out with their five children between the ages of three and seven years old for a six-week road trip. The family drove from Sydney to Farmington, New Mexico, a 4,000 km drive to visit Bill’s brother, Mickey and family. No seatbelts, no air conditioning, no technology and no minivan! The journey home was weighted down with a California Redwood picnic table and benches strapped to the roof of the car, which was nearly lost in a wind storm in Kansas. To this day, the picnic table remains the centrepiece of summer gatherings and family reunions.
Bill was a very grateful, compassionate and empathetic man, always thinking of others before himself. He truly enjoyed conversations with people he knew or even a stranger he had just met. His words of wisdom will always be remembered by many, as “the glass was always half full”. Bill’s witty humour was entertaining and brought smiles and laughter to the people around him. He was often looked upon as the neighbourhood ‘Uber’ driver and medical go-to person. The Encyclopedia Britannica was his well used medical resource, an early day ‘Google’. The family home always had extra food on the table for friends who came up from the basement, especially after a late night.
Known as “Poppy” to his 11 grandchildren, he cherished the time spent with each of them and instilled his family values, kindness and compassion. Poppy encouraged them to stay positive, work hard, have fun and do their best. This is where Facetime was invaluable for those of us living away.
In addition to his career as an educator, Bill enjoyed playing the guitar, sketching and oil painting, woodworking, birdwatching, time spent working on the various genealogy family trees, playing cards, attending dinner dances, and listening to Mary and the grandchildren play the piano. He enjoyed many camping trips to Dunvegan and weekends at East Bay Beach with Mary and their young children and later years floating in the pool, with family still in awe of his love for the water. He and Mary were avid Toronto Blue Jays and Montreal Canadiens fans. Bill was an active member of St. Anthony Daniel Parish and later years attended St. Marguerite Bourgeoys Parish. Many of his retirement years were spent with daily morning visits to Tim Horton’s on George Street having coffee with ‘the gang’. He and his long-time friend Tom Farrell, often saw each other frequently with a second visit to Tim’s in the afternoon, or trips to a hardware store, and weekly lunches at the casino. On one such occasion at the casino, Bill suffered a cardiac arrest and was revived by three employees after 15 minutes and on the third shock. Not ready to go yet, he went on to live five more years. We are forever grateful to the casino staff heroes.
Bill is survived by his loving wife of 59 years, Mary; his sister Beverly and brother-in law Leonard Parent, Dalhousie, NB. His legacy lives on in the happiness that he brought Mary and the inspiration and example they set for their children: Brent, Fredericton, NB; Leslie (Kirby Losch), Miami, Fl; Linda (Peter Poulos) Sydney, NS; Paul (Cheryl Ferguson), Toronto, ON; and David (Chris MacIntyre), Sydney, NS. Grandchildren: David and Alex Jamael, Ben, Steve, and Greg Losch, Quentin and Stephanie Miller, Marlowe and Norah Jamael, Julia and Jared Jamael, and a great grand-daughter, Naomi Jamael. Bill is also survived by his sisters-in-law Irene MacNeil, Lorraine (Jim MacIntyre), Georgie (Bill Gallagher), Peggy (Archie Pushie), Sharyn McDonald, Sheila MacKenzie, Edna (Ross MacCormack) and many nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his sister Marie O’Keefe and her husband Austin, brother Mickey and his wife Mary (MacPhee), brother Cam MacNeil and infant grandson Bradley Losch, brothers-in-law Gary McDonald, and Lee MacKenzie.
A special thank you to Dr. Liam Orrell, the CBRH cardiology team, ICU team, Palliative Care team, the VON, and City Homemakers. We truly appreciate your care and support.
Due to Covid restrictions, there will be no visitation or service at this time. Cremation has taken place. Interment in Resurrection Cemetery, Sydney Forks, NS and a celebration of life will take place at a later date. Memorials may be made to the Hospice Palliative Care Society of Cape Breton County at https://hospicecapebreton.org/donate/. Words of comfort and memories can be shared with the family by visiting www.twcurry.com.
