Obituary of Douglas Marshall Irvine
UNFORTUNATELY, AT THIS POINT, rumours of my demise have not been exaggerated. Most good things end, as has my time living amongst you all in the physical realm. And yet, I am ever-present in our shared spiritual kingdom. I am thinking of those near and dear to my heart, especially those who have helped and loved me along the way: my beautiful and all-loving, ever-caring wife, Nancy; my son, Dylan and his wife Meaghan, and their precious Jack and baby to come; my daughter Nataleah, her husband Greg and dog, Opie.
Spending time in Cornwall, Smiths Cove and Hantsport has left me with too many close and supportive friends to name. To all my friends, up close and far away, please know that you were what made my life worth living. You were the foundation upon which I built myself. Such friends can never be parted.
I’ve spent most of my life teaching, renovating our century old homestead, building our cottage, reading books and poetry, listening to music, traveling and watching life as though it were a gigantic stage. I have been stimulated, inspired, and fed by everyone I’ve met along the way. You’d think, by now, I’d have found the answers to the big questions in life. I haven’t. But I found something else. Those past few months as I sat quietly on my front porch, or beneath the old oak in my back yard, I began to see the essence of what life is: it was all before me in the blades of grass and the great sky above. “To glimpse the world in a grain of sand”, William Blake wrote. Yes, my friends, we are that small, together. Yet, we each add a little something good to the world. It is an ever-changing place, our world, and we too ebb and flow with its relentless tides.
I have had a steadfast, creative, worthy life since the day I was born. There has never been too many or too severe an obstacle placed before me. So ideal a life I have lived, so saturated with love, friendship, adventures, wonderous homelife and land – I depart with no regrets except for my loss to the laws of longevity.
« He who binds himself to joy
Does the winged life destroy
He who kisses the joy as it flies
Lives in eternity’s sunrise »
~ William Blake
It is with great sadness that the family of Douglas Marshall Irvine announces his passing on November 6th at the age of 68 years.
Doug will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 40 years, Nancy Ruth (nee Prescesky); his children, Dylan McMaster (wife Meaghan and son Jack) and Nataleah Rae (husband Greg and dog Opie) Hanlon. Doug will also be mourned by his sister, Mona Louise (Philip) Webb, Toronto, ON; brothers David Marshall (Sylvia) Irvine, Smiths Cove, and John Marshall (Gloria) Irvine, Cornwall, ON; nieces Andrea MacDonell, Jennifer Begrand and Lynn Harland and nephews Peter Webb, Geoffery Irvine, James Irvine and Jonathan Irvine.
He was predeceased by his parents Lt. Colonol Arthur Marshall Irvine M.B.E, CD (born in St. John, NB) and Margaret Mona (McMaster) Irvine (born in Montreal, QC); and nephew, Marshall Webb.
Doug will be remembered by the countless lives he touched across 30 years as an educator at Hantsport School and through his extensive involvement in the communities where he resided. He took great pride in leading and participating in numerous clubs, organizations, sports teams, hosting decades of Dart Tournaments and litter cleanups. He also donated his time and efforts to the Harbourview Cottagers’ Association, Smiths Cove Cemetery Board, Smiths Cove Museum and the Order of St. Lazarus.
The family would like to thank all of those who gave their love, time and positivity through difficult times. Thank you to Heather, Bruce and Tyler Horne for their unwavering support. We thank the dedicated team of personal care workers, Amber Phillips and the palliative care team, the oncology team from both the QEII and Kentville hospitals, VON, and the extensive list of friends and family who supported us along this journey.
Safe journey Doug, Dad, Babudee, Duck, Doogie, D.
Respects can be paid at the Irvine residence in Hantsport between 2:00 – 6:00 pm on Tuesday, November 10th with a celebration of life to follow at the cottage in August 2021. Memorial donations may be made to Nova Scotia Nature Trust (nsnt.ca) to help support Doug’s vision of sustainability. Arrangements have been entrusted to Serenity Funeral Home, 34 Coldbrook Village Park Dr., Coldbrook, NS, B4P 1B9 (902-679-2822).
1952 2020
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Douglas
Marshall
Irvine 1952 2020..
Décès pour la Ville: Coldbrook, Province: Nova Scotia