Rocky W. Blackmore
17 May 2020
Funeral Date, Time and Location
Sun 17 May 2020 Funeral at a later date
Resting Location
Due to COVID-19 there will be no visitation
Visitation Period
no visitation
Wishes
As expressions of sympathy, donations to the Polycystic Kidney Disease Foundation of Canada would be appreciated. www.endpkd.ca
Comments
Mr. Rocky W. Blackmore, husband of Nancy (Carnahan) Blackmore of Aitken Avenue, Miramichi, passed away peacefully at his home on Sunday, May 17, 2020 at the age of 65 with family by his side.
Born in Hamilton, Ontario, he was the son of the late William and Alice (Matchett) Blackmore. After graduating from Miramichi Valley High School, Rocky attended NBCC in Saint John and then spent most of his career working for NBTel/Aliant in Miramichi. He initially worked in the Mobile Shop on Ferry Road before moving into Sales and Account Management in the Newcastle business office. He retired from the Telephone Company (as he always called it) in 2002 after 26 years and maintained close ties with his NBTel friends and colleagues around the province. Rocky came out of retirement in 2003 to work for ShadComm for a few years before fully retiring.
Rocky was actively involved in the community. He was a lifelong member of St. James and St. John United Church, a member of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #10, a former member of the Rotary Club of Newcastle, Miramichi Kidney Foundation and Newcastle Business Association as well as numerous sports clubs.
Rocky’s first priority was his family. He was a loving father and husband and understood the importance of education. He worked hard to ensure his daughters had academic and extra-curricular opportunities and was never shy to share life lessons with them. He was very proud of their accomplishments and their families. He enjoyed cooking for family and friends and was known for his lobster boil, deep fried turkey and chili. In recent years, nothing gave Rocky greater joy than spending time with his grandchildren or hearing stories about them and his exclaims of “what a boy” and “what a girl” were frequently heard. He was very involved in their day to day lives and could be spotted at the hockey rink, baseball field, soccer pitch, golf club, cross country race or school drop off whether he was in Miramichi or Cayman. He was sure to tell them “love you pal” at every opportunity. Rocky was very active in many sports throughout his life. He was an avid fisherman from a young age and fished with his father and grandfather on the Little Southwest Miramichi River and maintained his guide’s license for many years. He was an active member of Miramichi Golf & Country Club for over 30 years and played hockey in the Industrial and Workmen’s Hockey Leagues until his first kidney transplant. Rocky was also a founding member of the Miramichi River Runners and enjoyed training for triathlons and a marathon. He was very proud of the Miramichi New Year’s Day 5K run that was named in his honour in 1996. He also loved hunting and the time he spent at the camp. He always enjoyed being in the woods and spent a significant amount of time preparing his wood for the next winter and tending to his woodlot. Rocky took up pool when skin cancer pulled him away from golf and fishing and he took pleasure in organizing many pool tournaments at the Legion.
Rocky enjoyed traveling with his wife, Nancy, and their family and friends whenever possible. They had many fun times on road trips on their Harley, cruises to the Caribbean, Alaska and the Mediterranean, ski holidays, snowmobile trips and he loved quick getaways to Maine where he had some family ties. Some of Nancy and Rocky’s other travels included England, Hawaii, Germany, Italy and France where he visited Juno Beach and the site where the North Shore Regiment landed on D-Day to pay his respects. Most of all, he cherished their extended visits to Grand Cayman with Trinda and her family where he made friends at Cayman Reef, Coconut Joe’s and the Lone Star. Rocky was a great friend to many and he and Nancy maintained a tight group of friends throughout their marriage who were always there for the happy times and the hard times. He was a regular at many haunts over the years and his friends will remember Friday nights at the Opera House, afternoons at the Legion, times spent at the cottage, the Mess, the Lo-Tide and countless more. He met friends at the Goodie Shop for breakfast daily for the past 15 years and the teasing and banter brought him so much enjoyment. His neighbours will miss their chats on the verandah and a wave for those walking by. Rocky was known for remembering names, dates and places and had a knack for fixing things. Rocky endured many health challenges over the last 20 years and never complained. When asked how he was feeling, his answer was always “the very best”. He and his family were very grateful for the kidney transplants he had in 2001 and 2015 which gave him many extra years and the opportunity to know his grandchildren. He took advantage of his healthy times to continue to enjoy the things he loved like his motorcycle, golf, hiking and he even climbed Mt. Katahdin in 2007. He also used the time to become an avid pool player and won the New Brunswick Legion 8-Ball Championships with his teammates twice and attended the Nationals in 2014 and 2015. He and Nancy traveled at every opportunity and his advice to everyone was “go while you can”.
Rocky may have been born in Ontario, but his family returned to the Miramichi when he was two years old and he was a proud Canadian and an even prouder Miramichier. He was eager to share news and stories of the Miramichi with anyone he met.
Rocky is survived by his devoted wife of 42 years, Nancy; his daughters Trinda (Leo Kassam) of Grand Cayman and Christy (Scott Jamieson) of Miramichi; his beloved grandchildren Brock and Claire Jamieson and Hunter Kassam; his sister Carla (Jim McDonell) of Toronto; and his brother Geoff (Kim) of Fredericton. He is also survived by his siblings-in-law Jeannie and Brian Allison, Joyce and Wayne Carruthers, Derrick and Betty-Anne Carnahan, Barry and Veronica Carnahan and Loretta Paranich; several nieces and nephews; and several aunts and uncles including his aunt Connie (Blackmore) Waye with whom he was very close. He was predeceased by his parents and he held a special relationship with his father-in-law, Donnie Carnahan, and his brothers-in-law, Ellery and Boyd Carnahan, who also predeceased him.
The family would like to express their sincere thanks to the Nephrology Team at the Georges Dumont Hospital for over 30 years of treatment and also to Rocky’s many doctors and nurses over the years at the Georges Dumont Hospital, the Moncton Hospital, the Miramichi Regional Hospital, the Transplant Clinic, the Miramichi Dialysis Clinic and the New Brunswick Extra-Mural Program.
In light of Covid-19 restrictions, a funeral service and internment will be held at a later date. Friends and family are encouraged to visit “Rocky W. Blackmore’s Virtual Celebration of Life” on Facebook (bit.ly/Rocky_Blackmore) or email RockyBlackmore@hotmail.com to share memories and stories in the meantime.
In Rocky’s memory, the family asks that you read with a child, teach a child to fish and consider organ donation. As expressions of sympathy, donations to the Polycystic Kidney Disease Foundation of Canada would be appreciated. www.endpkd.ca
Funeral services provided by:
Davidsons Funeral Home
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Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Rocky W Blackmore 2020..
Davidson’s Funeral Service Ltd
Death notice for the town of: Miramichi, Province: Nouveau-Brunswick