We, the family of Gary M. Christmas, sadly announce the peaceful passing of our dearly beloved partner, father, brother, uncle, godfather, and friend on Saturday, November 30th, 2024, at his home in Membertou. Gary was born in Sydney, NS, on October 6th, 1956, to his late parents, Ruth (Paul) Christmas and Bernard Christmas, both of Membertou First Nation.
In his younger years, Gary was an avid baseball player, playing as an outfielder for the Membertou Thunderbirds and Membertou Buzzards. Both teams won numerous championships in city leagues and the Indian Summer Games throughout Mi'kma'ki. Gary loved fishing with his godchild, Craig, and the two could often be found at their special fishing spots in and around Middle River. Gary enjoyed playing ground hockey but loved the game of hockey even more. His favorite team was the Montreal Canadiens (Habs), which sparked many friendly arguments at home, as half of the family were Habs fans, and the rest were Boston Bruins fans. His parents were secretly Toronto Maple Leafs fans, a fact that was only revealed later in life.
One of Gary’s proudest moments was acting in four movies: Squanto: A Warrior’s Tale (1994) and The Scarlet Letter (1995), Black Robe (1991) and The Last of Mohicans (1992). Squanto was filmed at the restored Fortress of Louisbourg and other areas of Nova Scotia, while The Scarlet Letter was filmed in Shelburne and Yarmouth, NS. Gary would frequently play these movies, excitedly pointing out his roles and action shots, especially his infamous fight with Robert Duvall in The Scarlet Letter.
As a young man, Gary worked in various roles with the Membertou Band Council as a carpenter, laborer, and construction worker. He was part of the team that built the Membertou Trade & Convention Centre, which officially opened on November 19th, 2004. Gary had many hobbies, particularly working with wood and metal, creating many gifts for his parents. He also loved playing Cribbage, Chess, and Poker with family and friends. He was notorious for bluffing and raising the pot in poker. Sometimes it would take him several minutes to open his cards, keeping everyone on edge about his next move.
Gary loved to travel, especially to Montreal to watch his favorite Habs team play. He also enjoyed attending concerts, with some of his best experiences being seeing Paul McCartney in Montreal and Ringo Starr in Windsor. Diane and Gary, along with Michael and Bernie, liked traveling to Ottawa, Halifax, Montreal and around Cape Breton for sightseeing and fun. Gary instilled in his children a love of hockey. When Gail was a rising hockey star, he could be found at rinks across NS and NB. He did the same for his youngest son, Michael, who, like his dad, loved the game. Gary and Diane rarely missed Michael’s games, and through this, he formed friendships with many hockey parents.
Gary was a kind, quiet, and humble man. He loved his partner, Diane, his children, grandchildren, family, and friends. He never complained and lived a simple life. He cherished attending family gatherings, with Christmas being the highlight of the year. He was a strong supporter of Every Child Matters and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Men. Gary will be dearly missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him. He was a loving father, grandfather, brother, friend, and companion. His spirit will live on through his family and friends. Rest in peace, Gary. It was an honour to have you in our lives.
Gary will be dearly missed by his partner, Diane Lewis; his children, Gail (Sarah), Gary Jr., Bernie, Michael, Julius (Kelsey), and Tresha MacEachern and close friends, Duncan and Chrissie MacEachern of North River (grandparents to Julius and Tresha); grandchildren Shaya, Tess, Gary (G3), Marissa, Duran, Daisy, Zacchary, and Natalie; and his godchildren, Craig Christmas, Meaghan Christmas, Shirley Tuplin, and Casandra Ginnish.
Also left to mourn are his sisters, Johanna (Keith) Laporte, Bernadette Christmas, Diana (Katy) Christmas, Paula (Mark) Sevestre of Ohsweken, Ont., and Ruthie (Farid) Christmas of Kanata, Ont.; brothers, Kevin (Wendy) Christmas and Dean (late Colleen) Christmas. Gary was predeceased by his son, Cory Andrew Christmas, brother, Bradley Thomas Christmas, and his parents, Ruth and Bernard Christmas.
The Christmas family would like to thank the doctors and nurses who cared for Gary in Unit 4B of the Cape Breton Regional Hospital, the Cancer Unit, and the Membertou Health Centre and Housing staff. They showed great kindness and care during his illness and battle with cancer.
Visitation will take place on Tuesday December 10, 2024 starting at 7:00pm at 5 Ji'Pin Awtij in Membertou. A Funeral Mass will be held at St. Marguerite Bourgeoys, 40 Cabot St. Sydney on Thursday December 12, 2024 at 11:00am with fr. Bill Burke Officiating. Burial and Salite to follow.
To share memories and condolences with the family please visit www.twcurry.com
