William Joseph “Joe” MacFarlane
1945-2022
A love story that began in 1965 and will continue on to
eternity because of the love between two people and the value of
family that was instilled into their children and grandchildren and
will no doubt be passed down for centuries to come.
Our hearts have all been broken into a million pieces and our
lives forever changed with the passing of Joe on Sunday, May 29th
after a long-fought battle with cancer. He fought with every bit of
strength, but at the end he could do no more- the fight was
over.
Joe was born January 31, 1945 in Moncton, NB to Dougald and
Nora (Dyer) MacFarlane. He was the oldest of eight children and did a
wonderful job being the best big brother possible. At the age of one,
his family moved back to their home in Williams Point – known to any
true Pointer as “God’s Country”.
Joe moved to Halifax in 1965 to go to work with CNR. Lucky
for Anita, he moved right next door and it was love at first sight for
her. We were married in 1972 and transferred between Halifax and
Moncton a couple of times. Joe continued to work for CN Express for 25
years until it was privatized and transferred to Route Canada. He then
went to work for Clarke Transport where he eventually retired from. He
was a true dedicated employee and worked hard to provide for his
family.
Joe’s family was his true love. There was nothing
more important than get togethers with our children, grandchildren,
siblings, nieces, and nephews, as well as the extended family. There
was nothing like a trip to the Point with the MacFarlane clan where
there were no shortages of adventures over the years. Whether it was
over a cup of tea with his parents back in the days to walks around
the farm, visiting cousins or a good old all-night party, the memories
are treasures we will carry in our hearts forever. The Murphy family
was as much a part of the love Joe had for his immediate family
because to him, we were all one big family. He loved his trips to
Halifax and getting together with everyone whether it was his in-laws
or their families.
A close tie to his one true love was antique cars. Whether we
were out for a drive enjoying the day or possibly heading out on a
trip, if Joe spotted an old car in someone’s driveway, he
wasn’t passing by. He had to pull into the yard, check out
the car and find out who owned it. Luckily, people were quite
receptive of him. I guess that’s a quality antique car
owners have. Joe was a member of the NBAAC, The Ford Country Club and
NB British Motoring Association. All of his car club friends were
considered his second family and he truly enjoyed his morning coffee
get together over the years with many of them. Joes love for country
music was instilled at a young age growing up on the farm and whether
he was sitting around at home or going for a drive, there was always
country music playing.
From a very young age, Joe loved playing ball and it was only
natural that he coached his children’s ball teams when they
were young. Along with ball, Joe loved to curl. We took up curling
when we moved to Moncton and enjoyed so many wonderful times meeting
new friends, competing at local clubs or going away on a bonspiel. So
many memorable times.
Joe loved to travel, and whether it was a trip to NS to see
family or flying overseas to see the beauty of so many countries,
travel was a big part of our lives. Nashville, Mexico, Cuba, New York,
too many places to mention but we loved to be on the road. Trips to
Montreal when the children were young to enjoy LaRonde or Toronto to
take in a Blue Jays game was so much fun. And of course there were
numerous trips to the USA – whether just to Bangor shopping, the White
Mountains for adventure or Boston for a hockey game, our travelling
times as a family were truly the greatest.
Besides his parents Dougald and Nora, Joe was predeceased by
his brother Doug (2013), and his daughter Krista (1974). He will
forever be in the hearts of his wife of 49 years, Anita (Murphy),
children Kimberley (Izzy) Gudmundson of Penticton, BC, Kerry (Chris)
MacLeod of Riverview, NB and Craig (Jennifer) MacFarlane of Banff, AB.
Seven beautiful grandchildren will be left with memories of grampy to
cherish forever: Kristen, Jade, and Aiden Gudmundson, Owen, Ryan, and
Kate MacLeod, and Noah MacFarlane. Joe also leaves behind his siblings
Lillian (late Mike) Power, Mary Lou MacFarlane, Kenny (Bernadette)
MacFarlane, Donnie (Brenda) MacFarlane all of William’s
Point, Carol (Raymond) DeCoste of Pomquet and Dorothy (late Lenny)
Benoit of New Glasgow. He will also be missed by his in-laws Bill
(Marlene) Murphy, Susan (late Brian) Gough and Doug (Gail) all of
Halifax. He was predeceased by his sister-in-law Carmie MacFarlane
(2020).
A special thank you to Dr. Heather Kelly and the Extra Mural
team for all the support over the past few months- I
couldn’t have gotten through it without you. Thank you also
to everyone involved in Joe’s care over the past five years
at both the Dr. Sheldon H. Rubin Oncology Clinic and the George Dumont
Hospital.
Respecting his wishes, cremation has taken place at
Cobb’s Funeral Home and Cremation Center, 330 Whitepine Rd,
Riverview (869-2007). A service to celebrate his life will be held on
Wednesday, June 1st, 2022 at 11am with Father Phil Mulligan presiding.
For those unable to attend, the service will be live-streamed and
recorded. Burial will be in the Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Halifax, NS
where Joe will be laid to rest with his daughter
Krista.
No flowers by request. Donations may be made to The Ronald
McDonald House, Halifax, NS. To view the service or leave a
condolence, please follow the links on the side of the page.
>Click here to View Condolences
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of William Joseph Joe MacFarlane 19452022..
Death notice for the town of: Riverview, Province: Nouveau-Brunswick
to Anita and family,My sympathy to all. Had the pleasure to know Joe from car clubs.he was very pleasant and nice man. I am sure he will be missed.