Andrew Lannon
February 04, 1922 – October 28, 2019
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ANDREW JOSEPH LANNON
(1922-2019)
Passed peacefully on Monday, 28th October, 2019 at Admiral’s Coast Retirement Centre at the age of ninety-seven years. Predeceased by his parents Ignatius and Mary (McGrath); his first wife of forty-nine years, Mary (Shea); his siblings, William, Mathilda, Angela, Pauline and Leonard; his son, Edward; and his second wife of eight years, Margaret (Clark.) Survived by his children Dorothy, Angela (David), Madonna, David, and Richard (Jeannette); his five grandchildren, Martha (Matthew), Andrea, Dorothy, Matthew (Laura), and Alexander a host of relatives and long-time friends.
Andrew was born in South East, Placentia on February 4, 1922. The Lannon family made a living from the land, growing vegetables, raising cattle, fishing, trapping and hunting. Under their father’s entrepreneurial leadership, the Lannon brothers sold timber to ship builders, salmon to people in the community, and ice blocks to schooners around the Bay.
As a boy, Andrew loved fly-fishing and often talked about the rivers being so thick with salmon that there were times he could barely wade upstream. He spoke with wonder about events in his childhood, such as the 1929 earthquake which caused him and his brother, Leonard, to run, terrified, into the house where they saw the dishes dance in the cupboards, and his 1935 visit aboard a Norwegian ship where he and his father were greeted by the captain who literally had a monkey on his back. “The first time I ever saw a monkey,” Andrew said.
In 1941, on his nineteenth birthday, Andrew trudged across the frozen South East Arm, heading to the Argentia U.S. Naval Base to find a job. He started work there as a gofer and, thirty-six years later, retired as an engineering technician. During his career, Andrew achieved the maximum level of security clearance allotted a civilian worker.
On November 25, 1950, Andrew married Mary Shea from Bar Haven and they settled in Placentia. Together, they established Lannon’s Shoe Store, a business which flourished for many years. Andrew joined the Knights of Columbus (installed as fourth degree knight in 1998), the Star of the Sea Association (honoured at the 2010 AGM as the longest serving member of the group), and the Placentia Lions Club. He also served on the Placentia town council.
After retirement, Andrew and Mary moved to St. John’s where Andrew discovered the joy of garage sales. “Handy Andy” bought, refinished, repaired and resold everything from cuckoo clocks to pump organs. He especially loved accordions and, if he wasn’t repairing holes in them, he was step-dancing to music from them.
After Mary’s passing in 2000, Andrew met and eventually married Margaret Clark; they resided in Paradise for a time and then moved back to St. John’s. When Margaret passed in 2012, Andrew moved to Admiral’s Coast Retirement Centre in Kelligrews. Visitation will take place at Caul’s Funeral Home, 84 Lemarchand Road Sunday, November 3rd, 2-4 p.m.
A service in celebration of Andrew’s life will take place at Corpus Christi Church in St. John’s, NL, on Monday, November 4th at 9:30 a.m., with interment following at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery.
Andrew’s family extends heartfelt thanks to the superb staff of Admiral’s Coast Retirement Centre for their kindness and caring.
“Give me the life in the open,
Away from the big city’s blare,
Let me camp near the running water
Where I breathe God’s own clean air.
Let me see the sunlight dancing,
And the stars a-twinkling gleam;
And glimpse the moonlight shining
On The Pools of a Salmon Stream.”
~P. C. Mars
In lieu of flowers, donations in the memory of Andrew Lannon may be made to the Canadian Cancer Society.
2019
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Andrew Lannon 2019..
Décès pour la Ville: Torbay, Province: T-N