E. John Skeavington

E. John Skeavington passed away peacefully on Friday, October 23, 2020 at Pinecrest Home with his family by his side.

John was born August 13, 1938 in Sperling, Manitoba. He grew up in Sperling and farmed with his father on the family farm.

In 1958, John moved to Kenora, Ontario and was employed with Simkins Construction in East Hawk Lake. John spent time working in construction and moved around a great deal in Northwestern Ontario depending on where the work was available.

In 1961 he married Dawn Lemay and eventually they permanently settled in Kenora and raised their family.

John was a Heavy Equipment mechanic by trade and loved working with his hands. He was well-known in the industry for his extensive knowledge of the mechanics of various pieces of equipment used in the logging industry. He received many after-hours calls to “troubleshoot” for owners of equipment when they needed his advice. He enjoyed his work until he retired in 2001 from Querel Equipment.

Dad enjoyed many hobbies and would rarely sit still. He always had a project on the go. In the winter, he designed and completed many woodworking projects and refinished numerous pieces of furniture in his basement woodshop. In the summer, Dad’s yard and garden were the focus. No matter what the project, big or small, he took enormous pride in his work. Everything was done with care and precision. His flower and vegetable gardens were beautiful and envied by many. Dad enjoyed camping and fishing and loved sharing these hobbies with his children and grandchildren.

In his retirement, Dad became involved with Kenora’s Communities in Bloom and spent numerous hours helping with their work. He volunteered with community clean-up events and could always been seen picking-up garbage along 9th Street on Sunday mornings. Dad also joined Keewatin Men’s Curling club in his retirement which he enjoyed very much.

Unfortunately, Dad’s health declined in the last few years. His mobility became an issue, and he began to suffer from dementia. He was not able to keep up the pace he once did, and this was very frustrating for him. He did continue to enjoy sitting in his yard on a warm summer day with a “cold one” and visiting with his children and grandchildren. In the winters, he enjoyed watching curling on television. He was determined to keep moving and, when he felt up to it, he did continue to use his walker to complete his laps at the Rec Centre.

John is survived by his wife of 59 years, Dawn and his three children and their spouses, Greg Skeavington (Kelly), Lynne Parovel (Edi) and Kelly Sundmark (David). Also mourning his loss are his six grandchildren, Amanda Parovel (Brian), Alyson Parovel (Brittany), Connor Skeavington, Rowan Skeavington, Jarrod Sundmark (Lauren) and Eric Sundmark.

John is also survived by his sister, Margaret Dracass, brother-in-laws, Bruce Bartley (Elsie) and Mark Lemay (Sue) and sister-in-law, Jean Lemay and numerous nieces and nephews.

John was predeceased by his parents, Robert and Maude Skeavington, his sisters Melva Bartley, Wilma McLennan; brothers-in-law, Geordie Dracass, Finlay McLennan and Jack Lemay; father and mother-in-law, Oscar and Doris Lemay.

The family would like to thank Dad’s dear friend Dan Grosenick for his many years of friendship and for continuing to take time to call and visit with dad and take him out for coffee.

We would also like to thank Mike Limerick and the staff at Pinecrest Home for the care and compassion that they provided during his stay, especially during his final days. We cannot say enough about how blessed we were to have such wonderful care when we were unable to care for him at home.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Kenora and Lake of the Woods Community Foundation - St. Thomas Aquinas High School Endowment Fund Community Needs, or a charity of your choice.

Funeral service will be held at Notre Dame du Portage Church on Friday, October 30, 2020. Due to Covid, attendance is by invitation only.