Alderman Lawlor Thompson “Al” Jennings
1932-2019
It is with deep regret that the family of Alderman (Al)
Jennings announce his passing peacefully on Sunday, August
4th, 2019 at Hospice House in Fredericton, NB
surrounded by his family after a courageous battle with
cancer.
Al was born in Mitchell’s Bay, Nova Scotia on
November 5th, 1932, along with his twin brother
Edison, to Mabel (Jewer) Jennings. Al had a penchant for sports right
from his early youth, playing pond hockey in the winter and softball
in the summer in and around the Halifax area. At the age of 18, Al
enlisted in the Canadian Armed Forces and after completing his basic
training in Montreal, he was deployed to Korea to serve in the Korea
War with the Royal Canadian Ordinance Corp (later
Logistics).
After returning from Korea, Al was posted to CFB Halifax
where he met the love of his life Dorothy Marie Keizer; they were
married in May of 1955. In 1964, after the birth of his first son,
Paul, Al was posted to Egypt for one year to work with a U.N.
Emergency Force tour of duty. Al returned in 1965 to be posted to CFB
Gagetown, which would come to be home for his family. Al spent the
next 17 years with Base Supply and retired from the military in 1982
with 32 years of service. Al couldn’t stay retired long,
though, and ended up working again for Base Supply in 1984, this time
as a civilian employee full time, finally fully retiring in 2016 at
the age of 84.
Al continued his athletic sporting life in hockey, softball,
golf, bowling and darts (sometimes to Dorothy’s
exasperation!) but he still found time to help raise two boys (Ritchie
was born in 1965) and involve them in sports as well. In the late
‘60’s and early ‘70’s, as his
playing career wound down, Al turned to coaching youth sport. He
proved to be an apt and able coach, successfully guiding the Oromocto
Juvenile Rep Hockey team to Provincial titles and, along with the help
of his best friend Jim McInnis, coached the Oromocto Juvenile and
later Junior Legionnaires to Provincial and Maritime titles as well as
appearances at the Canadian Nationals in the early to late
‘70’s. Many of those players, along with Al, went
on to compete successfully at the Senior Fast Pitch level in
Fredericton, winning Provincial titles and representing NB well at the
National level. Al was inducted to the Oromocto Sports Wall of Fame as
a coach in 2001 and again in 2010 as part of the Legionaries team. He
was also honoured in 2000, being inducted into the NB Softball Hall of
Fame as a coach.
Al met many people in his military career and sporting life
and never forgot a face. His family believed you could drop him into
the middle of China and he would find somebody who knew him. Al had a
full life doing what he loved to do and raising his family. He was
proud of us and we were equally proud of him. We will miss him greatly
but he will always be a part of us. Rest well dad, we love you
always.
Al is survived by his loving wife Dorothy; his two sons Paul
from Cambridge ON, and Ritchie (Christina) from Oromocto, NB; and his
fraternal twin brother Edison (Nancy) from Lower Sackville,
NS.
Al was predeceased by his mother Mabel (Jewer) Jennings, his
infant daughter (at birth) Katherine Marie Jennings and his brother
James Jennings.
The family would like to thank all the nurses and staff of
the Palliative Care Ward at the Oromocto Public Hospital as well as
Dr. Sainz and all the staff of Hospice House in Fredericton. Dad
couldn’t have been treated any better than the care you
provided him and we are very grateful to you all. God bless you for
what you do every day.
In lieu of flowers, for those who wish the family would
appreciate donations to Hospice House of Fredericton.
A graveside service will take place on Saturday, August
10th at 11:00 am at the Oromocto Pioneer
Gardens.
www.oromoctofh.com
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Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Alderman Lawlor Thompson Al Jennings 19322019..
Death notice for the town of: Fredericton, Province: Nouveau-Brunswick