Obituary Overview
In loving memory
John Dillon Jerome, aka JJ, died at 12:15 a.m. on December 6, 2018 and many people feel deep sadness. He’s gone now, but his kindness, even disposition, dedication, lack of pretension, sense of humour, his open nature and deep knowledge — all live on in us.
Dad was a champion architect of rugby programs in Ottawa, Ontario, and throughout Canada. Beginning in 1975, he built the rugby empire at Colonel By high school, where he taught English literatures and coached rugby for many years. Dad was also a force in building the Ottawa Irish Rugby Club, where he made lifelong friends. Andrew German writes: “JJ had no idea what he was creating, he just went about introducing more and more kids to the game in his low-key, non rah-rah way…He built a rugby culture at the school and everyone wanted to be a part of it.”
Tom McCartney, a former student and mentee in rugby and life, captures the kind of influence Dad on many students and players when he writes: “I owe a lot to your Dad and I am forever grateful to have walked this Earth with him.”
Dad could be found at Twin Elm; at the tennis courts in Queenswood Heights; at St. Mary’s parish; skiing through the x-country trails of Gatineau and Mer Bleu; teaching at Colonel By, Heritage College and Ottawa Talmud Torah; reading; listening to music, especially Big Band and Classical; and travelling to various parts of the world that lit up his imagination and sense of adventure.
Later in his life he was the social organizer at Alta Vista Manor, where his endlessly curious mind drew him to organize guest speakers for his fellow residents. He was also a popular docent at the National Gallery, where he shared his love of Inuit and Coast Salish art.
Though he specialized in literature, he also studied law and medicine, served in the Royal Canadian Navy and worked as a Park Ranger in Banff National Park. His son, Brendan, and his friends referred to Dad as “The Last Renaissance Man” given the range and depth of his knowledge and experience.
Dad was such a fine man who lived a life of adventure and who loved people, above all. He showed others tremendous kindness and possessed a kind of eloquence of person that was rare.
He was also witty. Shortly after his death, his daughter, Gillian, found this in his address book: “If I had my way, I’d have peaches every day.”
Dad will be very dearly missed and forever cherished by sons Paddy and Brendan, and daughter Gillian; former spouse Colleen Kerr; grandchildren Rory, Micah, Lukas and Koen; departed siblings Terry Jerome and Anne-Marie Mensour and surviving sibling Cathy McLeod; nieces, nephews, cousins; dear friends Laura McAulay, Guy Grenon, Carmen D’Szouza, Joanne Christie, Penny Scott, Joe Burns, John Wong, Alma and Sandy Haggart, Deiter and Mark Meng, Harry Corrin, etc: too many cherished friends to list.
Those of us who knew Dad have a beautiful legacy to keep alive. The Buddhist poet Thich Nat Hanh invites us to wake up each day and find the ones we love and grieve in the trees, the water, the stars, the mountains, the snowy ski trails.
So the next time you’re walking along, or running along, or skiing along, and you spot a red-winged blackbird or a black-capped chickadee, stop and take a close look at this beautiful creature—Dad would say a creature of God—and consider that John Jerome is alive in the world.
The Celebration of Life for John Jerome will be at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church at 151 Laurier Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario on Tuesday, December 11th, 2018. Visitation will commence at 10 a.m., service at 11 a.m.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of John Jerome 2018..
Source: Kelly Funeral Home – Barrhaven Chapel
Death notice for the town of: Ottawa, Province: Ontario