Obituary of Hugh Joseph MacDonald

Hugh Joseph 'Joe' Mac Donald, of Dolorosa Drive, Antigonish, passed away peacefully on Monday, March 3, 2014, in the R. K. MacDonald Guest Home. Born on June 1, 1927, he was a son of the late Francis and Rose Ellen (Burns) MacDonald, Salmon River Lake. Joe developed his carpentry skills while working with his father and started his teaching career in the one-room schoolhouses of Guysborough County. He then completed the Manual Training program at Normal College, Truro and earned a Bachelor of Arts from St. Francis Xavier University in 1966. Joe taught Industrial Arts in the Bass River-Parrsboro and Shubenacadie areas, where he operated a 'shopmobile' for several years. He then obtained a teaching position at Stellarton High School before subsequently relocating to Antigonish, where he taught at Saint Andrew Rural and Antigonish Regional (Dr. J. H. Gillis) High Schools until his retirement. Joe was an active member of his community, volunteering his services at various times with the Antigonish Highland Society, St. Andrews & District Volunteer Fire Department, Antigonish Care Van and the Antigonish Heritage Museum. He was keenly interested in local history and genealogy, authoring two small volumes and researching the ancestry of numerous families from the small communities near his Guysborough home. He is survived by his wife Mary Doris (Migliaccio), Antigonish; sons Bruce (Ann), Antigonish and Scott (Chris), London, Ontario; daughter Angela (Tim Forbes), Parrsboro; brother Rod (Salmon River Lake); sisters Mary 'Mame' Morrison, Erinville and Mildred 'Millie' (Jack) Forbes, Bedford; 15 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren. He was pre-deceased by brothers Bernard, Edward, Robert 'Bob', and sister Kathleen 'Kay' Farrell. Visitation 2-4 and 7-9 pm Thursday, March 6, in MacIsaac Funeral Home, 61 Pleasant St. , Antigonish. Funeral Mass 11:00 Friday, March 7, 2014 in St. Ninian’s Cathedral. Burial in the parish cemetery. Donations to the Antigonish C.A.R.E. Van Society.