Obituary Overview
John « Jack » Carruthers
Surrounded by family, Jack passed away peacefully at Parkland at the Lakes on March 18, 2018 at the age of 86 years, after a long battle with lewy body dementia, or as Jack called it, “Lewy Bluey”. While this disease ravaged his body and mind over the last several years, it did not destroy Jack’s spirit or good humour.
Jack had a lifelong love affair with athletics, having played every sport available to him in Pictou County. He was known for telling stories and jokes, often in a doorway, which made him (and his listeners) late for all manner of things. In his teen years, his penchant for tardiness often made him miss the train from Pictou Landing to high school in New Glasgow, forcing Jack to have to run to school — great training for the annual two-mile Victoria Day race in New Glasgow. Jack entered the 1946 race and won, posting a time of 8:59, a record that still stands.
In 1952, Jack was a handsome, young radio officer in the Canadian Air Force. He was introduced to Vera Murray at a party and, smitten, proposed to her two weeks later. They married in June 1953 and, wasting no time, welcomed their first-born, Kirby, ten months later. There followed, in the next ten years, four more children – Cathy, Don, Terry and Todd. Did this mean that Jack settled down? No, of course not. Through the years, Jack, Vera and family lived in New Glasgow, Dartmouth, Ontario, Quebec, and back to Dartmouth.
After completing his Air Force commission in 1956, Jack headed into electrical sales, eventually running his own agency, Carrtech Sales. Son Don joined and took over the agency upon Jack’s retirement, a proud moment for Dad. Jack’s sales career entailed logging thousands of travel miles, but that didn’t prevent him from: hiking almost the entire length of Ontario’s Bruce Trail; coaching son Todd’s hockey team in Quebec, curling at Dartmouth Curling Club; playing tennis at St George’s Tennis Club; taking on Dartmouth Rotary Club executive duties; golfing with the “Dartmouth Duffers” at Brookfield Golf Club; hiking Nova Scotia trails; being a driving force behind the Nova Scotia Trails Association and Trans-Canada Trail, and sneaking in trips with Vera and friends to harness racetracks, casinos and countries near and far.
Jack was predeceased by his parents, John (Jack) Carruthers and Mae Carruthers (Ferguson). He leaves surviving him brothers Ross Carruthers (New Glasgow) and Barrie Carruthers (Truro), wife Vera Carruthers (Murray), sons Kirby Carruthers (Trish Smith), Don Carruthers and Todd Carruthers (Crystal), daughters Cathy Dalziel (John) and Terry Higgins (Steven), grandchildren Kate Dalziel, Jennifer Seipp (Cary), Derek Higgins, Evan Higgins, and Ryan Carruthers, great-grandchildren Piper Crook and Callum Seipp.
Special thanks to Tina McNamara, geriatric nurse practitioner, Cathy Johnson, director at Parkland-at-the-Lakes, the staff of Parkland’s Jamieson and Glasgow Halls for their excellent, compassionate care of Dad, and the wonderful staff of Oceanview Continuing Care Centre. Time to rest, Dad.
Visitation will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, March 22 with a Celebration of Life at 1 p.m. on Friday, March 23, with reception to follow, all in Atlantic Funeral Homes, 771 Main St., Dartmouth. In lieu of flowers, donations in Jack’s memory to thegreattrail.ca, or a charity of your choice will be much appreciated. On-line condolences may be sent by visiting www.atlanticfuneralhomes.com
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de John Jack Carruthers 2018.source
Décès pour la Ville: Dartmouth, Province: Nova Scotia
