John Raymond Fiske

John grew up on the family farm & lumber mill and attended high school in Annapolis Royal. He joined the Canadian Army at age 17 and attended Acadia University in the Army Officers Program, earning his diploma in Engineering in 1947. While at Acadia, he met his future wife & sweetheart, Lynn, whom he loved beyond words. John also played varsity hockey & was honored to become a member of the Acadia Hockey Honor Roll. During his time at Acadia, he forged many friendships, with his closest being with his lifelong Valley friend and service comrade, Bill Piggott, having enlisted in the Army together. Oh my, the stories! From Acadia, John went on to earn his Degree in Civil Engineering at the Nova Scotia Technical College and worked for a time for the N.S. Dept of Highways as a resident engineer of construction. He also worked as assistant to the Registrar of Motor Vehicles & graduated as a Traffic Engineer from Yale University, prior to forming Stevens & Fiske Construction Ltd. John was also a founding member of Truefoam and was President & owner of Piercey’s Supplies for many years, while serving as a member of many associations & boards. He received a Doctorate Degree in Engineering from TUNS and went on to complete many high-profile development projects, with land development becoming his strength. John was a true visionary & had foresight like no other when it came to land purchases and concepts for future development. The highlight in John’s career, was when he launched the restoration of Historic Properties & Keith’s Brewery in Halifax, that deeply enhanced the downtown core. John was awarded the Order of Canada in recognition of his work in preservation of heritage properties & development of green spaces in Halifax, Annapolis Royal, & Ottawa. He also founded Parkdale Developments where he proudly worked with his son, Jock, for many years. He was a strong, quietly proud man, who was forever humble about his achievements. He gave generously for the benefit of others to such causes as Dalhousie University Research, the IWK NIC unit, Acadia U & to many others who needed a little help along the way. John enjoyed many sports, especially hockey & baseball, but his favorite activity was fly fishing. His favorite place was in front of a crackling fire, raising a glass or two. John loved to entertain and had an incredible gift for listening to ones’ story & making people feel valued. As we marvel & remember his achievements & his excellence in the master class of life, it is the man himself we’ll never forget. We will forever long for his quick wit & twinkling blue eyes, his infectious smile & laughter. For those who knew him best, they were fortunate to witness a remarkable man who was quite simply loved. John & Lynn made friends with people from all walks of life & from the world over. They forged a happy life, later spending winters in Sarasota, and summers in PEI & Chester. When it comes to fatherhood, the family was truly blessed. As we release John to his final resting place, we know that he’s finally reunited with Lynn, as we’re sure she’s ‘kept the porch light on’ and they’re enjoying a slice of her famous apple pie.

John was predeceased by his best friend & loving wife of 66 years, Lynn (Lois Allyne MacNearney), parents Raymond David & Jean (Sutherland of Drimnin, Scotland) Fiske, and recently his eldest daughter Patricia Jane. He was also predeceased by brothers Donald, Fred, Leon, and Ralph, as well as sisters Catherine Iona & Sheila Christine, who both died in infancy. He is survived by his children Julie, John S. (Becky) Sharon Muise (John) all of Halifax; Joan Garden (John) Brooklyn Corner; 9 grandchildren; Nikki, Jason, Tyler, Katie, Kyle, Brett, Jonathan, Kevin, & Mackenzie, 14 great-grandchildren, & several nieces & nephews.

The family owes an enormous debt of gratitude to a legion of people, all of whom were supportive of John over so many years - too numerous to mention, they know who they are. Their gifts of love & service will never be forgotten. John’s life was a life well lived, and if you listen quietly, you may just hear his soft whistle as he contentedly moves on

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.JASnowFuneralHome.com for the Fiske family.