91 - Sydney
Dad is gone. Walter Ethelburt MacKinnon, died on Sept. 9, 2014 at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital.
Born on Sept. 1, 1923 in Sydney, NS he was the son of the late John D. and Elizabeth (MacLean) MacKinnon of Sydney. Dad celebrated his 91st birthday several days ago.
Dad grew up on 200 Victoria Road in a family of 12. There was lots of laughter in their house including the time his brothers threw a fur hat into the bed ‘pretending it was a mouse’ achieving their attempt to scare their sisters to death.
Walter served overseas as a Wireless/Air Gunner during World War II from 1943-46. After the war Walter returned to his beloved Cape Breton and his beloved Genevieve. He attended training in Hamilton, Ont. to become an electrician and returned to Sydney to work as an electrician at the steel plant for the next 42 years.
Dad was very active in the Labour and Co-op movement and served as the President of the Steel Centre Credit Union from 1959-1969. He also was President of the Nova Scotia Credit Union League and Vice-President of Local 1064, United Steelworkers of America for several years. He was a founding member of the Health Coalition of Cape Breton. He was a strong political activist and was always a passionate supporter of Canada’s publically funded healthcare system. He passed on to his children his strong social conscience. He was and always will be an inspiration to his children and grandson.
Also during retirement, Dad attended the College of Cape Breton graduating with his BA in English in 1991. He loved university and thrived in the atmosphere there.
Dad also loved nature and the outdoors. The MacKinnon family have many beautiful memories of the camping trips to Ingonish, Cheticamp and the summers at Mr. Hunt’s by the Humes River. After retirement, Dad led a busy life. His beloved garden beautified Columbia Street. He passed on his love of gardening to his son, Blair and his daughter, Ursula who has many of his perennials in her garden in Halifax. Mom and Dad loved to go swimming, one of their favourite places being Groves Point on the Bras d’Or Lakes. They were also avid skaters well into their 80’s. He taught his son, Gary to fish at the age of four. They enjoyed many fishing trips together and hunted partridge and rabbits together.
To Dad his one and only grandson, Peter-Blair, might just have well have been the ‘only grandson in the world’. He enjoyed several lovely years with him, playing soccer with him in the back yard when he was in his 70s. They were short games! Precious memories for his daughter, Jennifer Ann.
Walter is survived by his wife and best friend of 65 years, the former Genevieve Almon and his four children, Gary (Louise Williams), Blair (Guy Preville), Jennifer Ann (Hugh Miller), Ursula (Bill Penny) and his grandson, Peter-Blair MacKinnon-Nicholson.
Walter was predeceased by siblings, Cecelia, Hector, Frank, Roddie, Eddie ‘Peter’, Mickey (killed overseas in WWII), Theresa, Mary ‘Sis’ and Pearl.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to the wonderful lovely caregivers, Ann and Mary Vassallo, we couldn’t have done it without you.
Visitation for Walter will take place from 6-9 pm on Friday at T.W.Curry Parkview Chapel. Funeral service will be celebrated at 11 am on Saturday at T.W.Curry Parkview Chapel with Rev. Albert Maroun officiating.
Donations in Dad’s memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Society. Online condolences may be made by visiting www.twcurry.com
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