Obituary of Howard Hatt McGinn

It is with great sadness and broken hearts that our family announce the passing on October 9, 2021, of Howard (Butch) Hatt McGinn; loving husband, father, Papa, brother, uncle, and friend. Butch was born in Beech Hill, Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia, on September 26, 1940. He was the son of the late Charles (Carlos) McGinn and Blanche McGinn (nee Hatt), and stepmother, Clara McGinn. He was predeceased by his brother, Robert (Bobby) McGinn, sister Barbara (Barb) Walker (nee McGinn), and brother Michael McGinn. He is survived by his loving wife of 59 years, Lynda (nee Hemlow), children, Daniel, Sindy (Andrew), Holly (Stephen), and Alisha (Murray), grandchildren, Tyler, Hanna, Mia, Keenan, Saxon, Savanna (Joe), and Marley, and great grandchildren, Sharlett and Kinley. He is also survived by his brother, Paul McGinn (Cindy). Butch had a long career at Town Tire in Burnside, Dartmouth, from which he retired in 1987. Butch was a very social and outgoing guy. He had the great fortune to make many close friends over the course of his life. These friends called often and regularly, and those that were able to, visited frequently. This made his heart happy. Our family is forever thankful for these bonds of friendship that enriched his life and ours in turn. Butch loved and enjoyed his family like no other. We will miss his deep love for us, his dedication to us, his sense of humour and his fun-loving antics. He was very proud of his family and the love we share so freely and openly with each other. He set an example for us on how to love with your whole heart. In addition to spending time with his family, he enjoyed watching hockey, “the fights”, true crime drama, and nature documentaries. Until, recently, he was an avid sport fisherman, and we have all spent many enjoyable hours on fishing trip adventures with him – many memories were made. He was always up for an outdoor adventure and enjoyed four wheeling, hunting, and overnight camping trips. Butch was a dedicated weather watcher and had kept a daily weather journal for the past 30 years. Another of his favourite pastimes was bird watching, which he was able to continue enjoying through all the years. Butch loved music and spent many hours listening to music with his wife, Lynda. He had a beautiful singing voice – which some of us inherited and some of us did not! He could whistle a tune as beautifully as a birdsong. He provided us a lifetime of love and memories to cherish that will fill our hearts for always. Cremation has taken place and his family will scatter his ashes together at a later date. Everyone who remembers Butch is asked to celebrate his life in their own way, raising a glass of Royal Reserve in his memory would be quite appropriate, if you feel so inclined. Instead of flowers, donation can be made to St Mary’s Memorial Hospital,91 Hospital Road P.O. Box 299 Sherbrooke, NS B0J 3CO 902-522-2882 where Butch received the best of care over these past years for which he was, and we will be, forever grateful. If we could share one piece of his advice to us to others, it would be this: “Enjoy Your Life”, he sure did.