In Loving Memory of John Lewis MacDonald

John Lewis MacDonald, aged 77, passed away peacefully on October 15, 2025, at Eastern Shore Memorial Hospital in Sheet Harbour, following a brief battle with cancer.

Born in Parrsboro, Nova Scotia, John spent his early childhood in Springhill before returning to Parrsboro to live with his maternal grandparents, Maude (Lake) and Daniel McDougall, and his beloved Uncle Bob, after his parents separated. As his grandparents’ health declined, his Aunt Hazel Geddes, along with her husband George and son Donald, moved in to care for the family. John remained with them after their passing, forming a deep bond with Uncle Bob through their shared love of country music. During this time, John endured a traumatic kidnapping by his father—a traumatic experience that left a lasting impact on his sense of safety.

John was an active and spirited child, involved in little league baseball, Cubs, and the junior choir at the Baptist Church. He attended Parrsboro Elementary and Parrsboro Regional High School, where he excelled academically and participated in soccer and basketball at both junior and senior levels.

After graduating high school in 1966, John attended Nova Scotia Teacher’s College, earning his diploma in 1968. He began his teaching career at Oxford Regional High School and, in 1970, followed his high school sweetheart to Sheet Harbour, where she had accepted a teaching position. They married the following spring and spent the next 33 years teaching at Duncan MacMillan High School. Even after retirement, John continued to tutor students struggling with mathematics, always eager to help.

In 1974, John and Tanya welcomed their daughter, Robyn Paige, who became the light of his life. He admired her compassion, generosity, and dedication to volunteer work. Each morning, after watching the local news, he would switch to the Calgary station to check weather and traffic updates for Robyn, always looking out for her. If she called in the evening, he’d drop everything to answer.

Music was a constant in John’s life. From morning to night, his home was filled with the sounds of old rock and roll, country, and Christmas tunes. He took great joy in DJing for Lion’s Club dances and creating personalized CDs for loved ones. His daily routine included solving puzzles, reading novels, and relaxing with a can of Pepsi.

A skilled woodworker, John crafted furniture and decorative pieces for Tanya and her friends during their Tole painting days. He built chairs, shelves, and chests—often without a pattern—pouring pride and care into each creation.

Summers were spent in Parrsboro, where he cherished time at the golf course. He once scored a hole-in-one and kept the ball as a memento—until Tanya unknowingly tossed it out with the Kleenex box it was stored in. Retirement brought more time in Parrsboro, especially to reunite with dear friends Martha and Sandi Spence.

John deeply valued connection. He was often on the phone catching up with friends and family—Gary in Alberta to talk Blue Jays, Martha in Ontario to share music, Jocelyn and Andrew in Ontario for updates, Lyn in Halifax to discuss puzzles, Kevin for advice, Jeffrey to talk politics and Carroll and Clayton in Truro to chat about shared interests and Judy to get updates about Parrsboro. He lived by the motto, “If I can put a smile on someone’s face, I’ve had a good day.”

John is survived by his devoted wife of 54 years, Tanya (Harvey), and his cherished daughter Robyn. He also leaves behind his brother James MacDonald; half-siblings Jocelyn Cheetham, Patrick Langille, and Greg (Cathy) MacDonald; sister-in-law Dianne Laituri; niece Quiss (David) Coll and their sons Alex and Joey; honorary granddaughter Olivia Dominix, whose visits always brought joy; and many cousins and close friends. He was predeceased by his parents, Margaret Arlene (McDougall) and James Edward MacDonald; Aunt and Uncle Hazel and George Geddes; cousin Donald; and in-laws Ralph and Lillian (Zinck) Harvey.

Thank you to specialists Dr. Jonathan Duplisea; Dr. Mary MacNeil; Dr. Alexander Ednie and Family Physician Dr. Donald MacDonald. Special thanks to Respirologist Dr. Alexnadra Dittrich for going above and beyond and to the Nurses who helped with his care over the past two months.

Visitation will be held at D.S. Crowell & Son Funeral Home, Sheet Harbour on Saturday, October 25th from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., followed by a service at St. Andrews Anglican Church in Watt Section at 11:00 a.m. A reception will follow upstairs at the Sheet Harbour Legion Hall.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Gerald Hardy Society, Sheet Harbour, the Nova Scotia SPCA, or Soul’s Harbour Rescue Mission, Halifax.