John Lewis Shackleton was born on a Sunday, on the 28th of February, 1937, and died on a Sunday, on January 26.2020. He was the fourth John Shackleton of his line in Canada, so it was perhaps a good thing that his children were all girls. Born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, his best memories were of spending time on his grandfather Lewis’ farm in Newmarket, developing a deep seated yen for a life in the country. He loved dogs, and was hardly ever without one. He fell in love with the province of New Brunswick while at school, learning to be a professional engineer at Mount Allison and UNB, although truth be told, he and his friend Bruce nearly wound up in Nova Scotia when they missed the town of Sackville altogether on their drive down, and he said he only picked NB because he could never pass his grade 13 French, and Mt A needed football players. His next love affair was with a cute nurse in training named Libby Riddell, with whom he would spend the next 60 years. After several projects in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan and Toronto, including the Gardiner Expressway, an engineering gig came up in Saint John, NB, and he never looked back, living in Saint John, Keswick Ridge, Saint John again, where after working as the manager of the Market Square Corporation, he retired to Gagetown New Brunswick. Here this lifelong learner honed his woodworking skills, studied antique cars,and tractors, propagated geraniums and peach seeds, became an expert cook and baker, and gave many volunteer hours to GAHSA, Rotary and the Oromocto Public Hospital Board, and became known by his family as Johnny Nutseed, for collecting and planting nuts all over the property, John loved his family and life – he told us that if anyone ever said that he was lucky to have had such a long life, we should give them a kick in the behind and tell them that it wasn’t enough. He will be sorely missed by his wife Libby, daughters Krista, Karen and Sara, and their best beloveds, Doug, Peter and Paul (all affectionately known by him as Keith), by his grandchildren Andrea, Kier and Sadie, by his Scottie, Aila, by his sister Mary, all the family back in Ontario and so many friends – you know who you are.
Although muffins are always nice, donations to Hospice House in Fredericton or GAHSA would be the most fitting tribute.
Wherever you are Dad, there had better be dogs, a garden, and an antique car …
Arrangements are in the compassionate care of Chipman Funeral Home & Crematorium. (339-6612) Memories and condolences may be shared through www.chipmanfuneralhome.ca.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of SHACKLETON John L – Gagetown NB 2020..
Death notice for the town of: Chipman, Province: Nouveau-Brunswick