Obituary of John A MacGillivary

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the sudden passing of John Angus MacGillivary on Wednesday, December 18, 2024, at his home, “The Hilltop Lodge”, in Frasers Mills, Antigonish County, at the age of 78.

Born in Antigonish and raised on a farm in Frasers Mills, he was the youngest son of the late John Allen and Cassie (MacDonald) MacGillivary.

He is survived by his loving daughter, Cathy, and was predeceased by his brother and best friend, Charlie. 

At the time of his retirement six months ago, John A. was the oldest civil servant in the province of Nova Scotia, having worked at the fish hatchery in Frasers Mills for over 35 years.  He took pride in his work and enjoyed many good times with his work family.  Prior to that, he worked at Scotsburn Dairy in Antigonish for several years.  

John A. was a hard worker and stoic and independent to the end.  He was an avid Detroit Red Wings fan, and he was known for cooking the best turkey dinner around.  John A. loved his morning coffee with the Tim Horton’s Group on East Main Street and a good card game with friends in the community.  He will be remembered for his kindness, his generosity, his sense of humour, and his love of all animals – especially his dog, Thunder; his three cats, Orville, Kitty, and No Name; and the eleven feral cats he fed every day.

Visitation will be held from 2:00-5:00 pm on Sunday, December 22, 2024 in MacIsaac Funeral Home, 61 Pleasant Street, Antigonish. Funeral mass 11:00 am Monday in St. Andrew's Church, St. Andrews, Reverend Dennis Lamey presiding. Burial in the South River Cemetery.

In Memoriam, donations to CAR-M-A appreciated.