John was a devoted husband and father. Family was very important to him. He was supportive and involved.

 

He was passionate about his interests, and loved to share them.

 

One of his passions was the Winnipeg Jets. He had season tickets and was very involved with the Booster Club for many years. He loved the opportunity to be at the games and to talk about them with others who were also avid fans.

 

He thoroughly enjoyed conversations with others about shared interests. He had strong opinions about topics that were important to him. It was difficult to change John’s mind once he had an opinion about something!

 

John had a mischievous streak, and his family of course was often on the receiving end of that. However, one day at a family BBQ the tables were turned. John had served himself a burger and was sharing a story. He stretched out his arm, yet-uneaten-burger in hand, to emphasize his point. Before he knew what had happened, the burger had disappeared; swiped by the dog and gone in one gulp. The look on his face was unforgettable.

 

John had a side job as a DJ for a time, and his extended family benefited from those days: many received cassette tapes of popular music recorded from his large record collection. His family also arguably benefited from his very strong opinion that Betamax was the best VCR format. Before long each household had identical Beta machines and was enjoying the superior quality that the format offered.

 

John had a successful career in Aircraft Maintenance, working for Standard Aero and later for Aero Recip. On one occasion he was thrilled to receive a call from a family member asking for help solving a tricky airplane repair problem. He went above and beyond, not only solving the problem with his considerable knowledge but also arranging for parts and helping to develop an intermediate fix.

 

After his retirement, John began digging into his genealogy. He often shared interesting facts and was always willing to pass along more detail to anyone who asked. He and Anthea traveled to Europe and he loved exploring castles. Staying at a pub was, however, a dream come true.

 

John was active and plugged into his local community. He and Anthea were members at the local senior centre. John really enjoyed being part of Men’s Shed, a community organization for men’s health and well-being. He was renowned in Charleswood for his consistent walks with the dog, always with a Tilley hat on his head.

 

John will be greatly missed by his family and his many friends.