Pat and family . Sending all of you our  condolences . Words are never enough . We have fond memories of spending time with you and John and our many friends  when we were living in Halifax in the ‘70’s . We had our first children the same year  , your Jonathan  and our Joella. John loved life and lived to the fullest and you were all the centre of his world. Keep all your special memories in your hearts and take care of each other. Love Ray and Sue Arsenault and family .Elmfield , Pictou County

I am very sorry to hear of John's death,
John and I worked together on several projects over many years including the Halifax Infirmary in the early 90's.
John was very well respected Architect that always was very determined that he and his firm would do their very best for the client. 
 I have so many good memories of working with John and we shared some fun times together golfing or at some social events.

Dear Pat and Family:  We were saddened and shocked to hear of John's passing.  We have so many good memories of our times together on Vestry Street with all of our kids.  We think of John often in our house as he designed our large reno many years ago.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of you during this difficult time and day.  John's light will be missed.  Take Care.

Jane and Peter Arsenault

We are so sorry to hear of John’s death. Our condolences to his loved ones. We always had a good laugh together. We’ll miss him!

-Tom and Betty

So sorry to hear of your loss Ann. From your Port Mouton neighbors

My heartfelt condolences to John's family. At school he was always ready to give honest criticism, participate in a deep discussion or a spirited argument. He was the life of many a student party. 

He was a supportive colleague.

John support to the betterment and protection of Sandy Lake and his support for my run at City Council were so much appreciated.  He will definitely be missed by my family and myself. 
Heartfelt Sympathy to his Family. Peace be with you.

To the Family of Mr. Emmett,
I was terribly saddened to receive the news of John's passing from our association.  I started my career working for John at WHW and took a lot of inspiration from his guidance and teachings while there.  I never forgot his passion for good design and his sense of humor (although he liked to keep it undercover).  I'm sorry he didn't get the chance to win back the WHW pool championship from me, but I'm not sure anyone could have.  John will be sadly missed.

Extending my sympathies to family and friends.
Tina Birmingham

The picture of John Emmett posted at the top of this page tells a great story. The relaxed and smiling face we see is not one we often saw. John was an opinionated, hard driving workaholic. John busted his ass for much of his life building WHW Architects into the largest practice in Atlantic Canada, together with his partner Keith, and later with Rob McLaren and I and many other colleagues. When he wasn’t burning the midnight oil at WHW he was burning the other end of the candle supporting the associations, provincially and nationally, that represented the profession he was so committed to and clearly loved. He burned other candles at both ends as well, but you always knew his heart was at home with his family. For his colleagues at the office and for those who knew him throughout the design and construction industry this was acknowledged and respected. He inspired us through his breadth of effort, and quirky sense of fun.
Pam and I send our condolences to Pat and John’s family. We’ll fondly remember the many dimensions of this driven man but when we imagine him in our memory we’ll see the man in the picture. A caring man. A kind man. A good man. Rest in peace John Emmett.

Our deepest condolences to all the family from Alec Brown and Jane Abbott, architects in Halifax. We both worked with John at WHW Architects in the mid 2000’s. He was always upbeat, ready for a laugh and happy to help interns trying to become registered. 

On a drive to PEI for work, he gave me (Jane) invaluable advice on how to tackle my upcoming Architects’ Registration interview as he knew back to front the regulatory side of our profession. He did this with humour, mixed with knowledge, which made it all the more memorable. And I passed the exam. Thank you John!

Wishing the family courage and peace.

Jane Abbott and Alec Brown
Abbott Brown Architects

I was shocked when I read John‘s obituary last night, my sincere condolences to Pat and the Emmett families on John‘s passing.

I have a lot of very positive memories of working with John on various projects starting in the early 1980s on Atlantic veterinary College Project, I always appreciated not only his witt and  is character but design excellence.I have a lot of memories of travelling and working on these projects with John. Many laughs and a few drinks.

I will forever Miss you, John!

Dear Patricia, Jonathan, Kelly, Erin, Shannon, and family,

John was more than just a mentor to me over the last three years; he was an extraordinary guide, a visionary architect, and a kind soul who profoundly impacted my life. John’s dedication to his work, his unwavering commitment to his family, and his genuine warmth were an inspiration to all of us who had the privilege of knowing him.

John’s legacy in architecture, especially his contributions to healthcare design, will continue to shape our community for years to come. I’ll always remember his advice, his passion for our craft, and the unique way he brought joy and insight to even the most challenging projects. He will be sorely missed but fondly remembered, and his spirit will live on in all of us who had the fortune to learn from him.

Please accept my heartfelt condolences, and may you find comfort in the love and memories you shared.

With deepest sympathy,
Meriem

My sincere condolences. I was fortunate to have John work on a couple of projects I was involved in. A gentleman who delivered. I am very sorry to read of his death

John, a Mentor and a Guide
I first met John when he approached me in a dark corridor of a conference centre. He came up to me with a welcoming comment and a question about whether I was prepared to ‘spill blood, sweat and tears’ in hard work with the WHWGroup. I remember too , that as he said this, he had a twinkle in his eye and the most subtle of smiles on his face. 
I was brought into the Firm to coordinate the group of consultants who were designing the new Halifax Infirmary. John was the Managing Partner. 
John’s role included meeting with NS DT &PW to review the construction drawings  and I’ll never forget him returning late one morning and letting out a  roar that could be heard throughout the office: “couldn’t we get the blinking sprinkler head located in the correct position?! There are over 450 patient rooms here!”  For John, being ‘good enough’ was NOT acceptable. Perfection was required. 
It was a brief and powerful lesson that I took to heart. John was demanding, but no more demanding of others than he was of himself. He was technically superb in his work, completely engaged in the details of his buildings. 
John also recognized the benefits of a strong and active profession and encouraged all of his staff to actively participate in the Council and committees of the NSAA. 
Yet despite his deep commitment to the Firm and its work you knew it was his children and his family that he valued most, and the time spent on family projects. 
My sincere condolences go to John’s wife, Pat, and their children and grandchildren, and to Peter and Heather, and John’s Mom and siblings, nephews and nieces.  He is gone too soon but his spirit and character will long be remembered.

To The Emmett family, 

Please accept our sincerest condolences on John's passing. I worked with John many yersa ago at Webber Harrington and Weld just as he was becoming a partner and later I served with him as council member at the Nova Scotia Association  of Architects.  May he rest in peace.

Dear Pat and family.  We are so very sorry to hear of John's passing.  When we last spoke to him we thought he might be turning a corner - he always had that way of making things seem like "no big deal."  We laughed when we read Keith's comments about John always being the star of the adventures they took as we can completely relate.  He would just do something so funny, so unique - so John - that you could not help but laugh at his love of life.  

It will be quiet without John but as time passes you will relish the memories because he left a lot of them!  He loved his family and underneath that grumpiness that a few have mentioned was a heart as big as the world.

We apologize in advance that we will not be able to attend on Sunday but you will be in our thoughts and prayers.

Love Sandi and Bruce

My condolences to all the Emmett family of your great loss. I have many memories of John from over the past 25 plus years. 
John was a great man and it was a gift to meet someone with such ambition and pride for even the simplest things. 
RIP my friend and we will be toasting you at happy hour Friday and many more times I am sure!

So sad to hear of John’s recent and premature passing. John was my exceptional superstar business partner for 30 years at WHW starting in the early 1980’s up until his retirement .I appreciated John for his intelligence , wit , hard work , skill , and ability and his unwavering support as we embarked upon many thrilling business adventure together (including USA , Africa and the Middle East) . His ideas, support , council , patience and participation enabled us to grow our company six fold by the time of its sale circa 2010. It’s not often you can spend that much time together and say we never had a serious disagreement - well such was the nature of our relationship , and I credit that totally to John and his calming presence.
John and I  did not spend much time together after his retirement perhaps as we dug deeper into our own family and lives  but after 30 years of every day contact , perhaps we had said it all . lol. The highlights of our many non business adventures over those years still  brings a warm smile to my face every time I think of him . He had quite a comic bent to his personality that amused all around him.He was the star in all of my memories of our outings , always doing some unique “ john thing”  - shark fishing , golfing , trips to NY State and many more. I never had a boring time whenever John was around . I know you will miss him Pat. John was one of the good guys , well respected by all in the Construction Industry and beyond . Our thoughts are with you. 
See you soon John , save a seat at the bar .

I had the pleasure meeting and working with John (and Peter)  on the  Summerside Wellness Centre project.  Sorry to hear of his passing.  Please accept condolences on behalf of everyone here at MJMA
Robert Allen, Partner
MJM Architecture and Design

My sincere condolences to John's Family.

 Although I only met John a couple of times, I remember him to be an affable and helpful person who contributed greatly to the architectural profession and greater community.

Richard Doucette, NSAA

Pat and family
Please except my deepest sympathies for your loss. I will remember John so fondly and will always be grateful for the memories of our time together in Las Vegas in 2023  with many  cousins catching up on life and enjoying some special moments together.  I will hold you all in my thoughts and prayers during this incredibly sad time. Cherish the memories. John will be forever missed.

It is with sadness that the NSAA heard of John's passing.  To his family, friends , and former colleagues, we extend our deepest condolences.  John will forever live on in our memories and his architectural legacy.

NSAA Council, Staff, and Membership

I worked with John and WHW  for many years while I was an engineer at CBC. He was just a pleasure to work with, incredibly knowledgeable and went above and beyond to resolve issues and get things done. To his family,  and his brother Peter, I would like to extend my deepest condolences. 
MJ MacDonald

Dear Pat and Family,
      We were sorry to hear of Johns passing.  Robin & Marlene Falconer

Dear Pat & family ,
My heartfelt condolences to you and your family.

Pat and family, so sorry for your loss.  We remember you fondly from your Purcell’s Cove days.
Love and hugs, Lynne & Antony Simpson

My deepest sympathies to all of John's family in this sad time.  
I worked with John for over 20 years at WHW Architects.  He was tremendously knowledgeable and meticulous in his Architecture work.   He would say that he liked working with me as he was detail oriented and I had a good attention to detail.   I also have to say that, beneath his occasionally grumpy demeanor, I believe he possessed a genuinely kind heart.  (As an example: I remember a few times asking for vacation time off, and his first response was always a grumpy "No, you're not allowed!" but then he would follow a few moments later with "well, ok, what date is it?").    I learned a lot from John and he will be missed.

On behalf of Architecture49, Halifax office, we wish to extend our condolences to the family.  John was a significant contributor to the Architecture community.  He is fondly remembered and will be missed.

I am so sorry to hear of John's passing.  I had the pleasure of working at WHW and as a boss, he was always supportive and I valued that  & I have always admired that about him all these years later. To Shannon, Erin and family, my heart is with you all. Sending prayers & love.

Leslie (Johnson) Clyke

Dear Pat and family

My heartfelt sympathy to you Pat and your family. 
With much love
Louise and family

AVIS DE DÉCÈS

John Edward Emmett

23 janvier 1952 – 4 novembre 2024

JA Snow Funeral Home

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