Obituary of Angus Lawrence MacEachern

Lawrence MacEachern, Creignish, 88

Lawrence MacEachern was born on July 16, 1935, and passed away, surrounded by his family, on Sunday, July 14, 2024, three days after a stroke and two days before his 89^th birthday. We feel that heaven just gained a new handyman.

Dad was born, and lived most of his life, in Creignish. His parents were Alex Angus and Bessie MacEachern, and he had a younger brother Joseph (Ruth). He grew up in a fishing and farming household and his early education was in Creignish and Judique. Seeking adventure, he left home at age 16, got a welding trade in Halifax and proceeded to work on some of Canada’s major infrastructure projects of the 50’s; the Canso Causeway and the Saint Lawrence Seaway. He returned home to work with Stora Forest Industries (now Port Hawkesbury Paper), achieved his First-Class Power Engineer Certificate, and worked in various capacities as a Stationary Engineer until his retirement. He married Clare MacDonald, from Long Point, in 1962 and started a new adventure that lasted the rest of his life.

Dad rarely had an idle moment. He inherited his father’s lobster license and fished until the age of 80. He would leave work at the end of the day and come home to fish in the evening. As if that wasn’t enough, he was also dedicated to service of family, faith and his community. He was the go-to guy for the church for many years whenever repairs needed to be made or if the furnace went down, at any hour. He was a member of parish council and was very involved in decisions and construction of the Creignish Recreation Centre and the pastoral centre. He was passionate about cars and kept the family cars running, and those of friends, while finding time to fix a series of antique cars. As kids we would be called into action to do things like pump the brakes, during a repair job, while he yelled commands from underneath the car. In this work he was the welder, mechanic and often the auto body repair guy. He was self-taught and resourceful. As a woodsman he stashed enough wood away to keep the furnace running all winter. He was also a carpenter and he and his father built the house we grew up in. Until recently he could be seen fixing an appliance or climbing scaffolding to paint the house. Even an aortic aneurysm at age 71 didn’t slow him down.

Dad also found time to pursue other interests. He had a deep love of Scottish music and aspired to be a fiddler. As teenagers, we weren’t able to share his enthusiasm as his foot stomped on the floor, keeping time to a reel. We suspect he is part of the big band in heaven. He and Mom enjoyed many square sets over the years. He also took up bowling and golfing as he neared retirement. His hole-in-one certificate is still hanging in the den. Dad was one of those die-hard Leafs fans and Saturday nights were often spent in front of the TV. If not, it is likely that he and Mom were at a card game. Mom and Dad were serious contenders and would compete in seniors’ games and at their club. They were active members of the Evergreen Club in Port Hawkesbury. He even found time to play the occasional bingo game and helped operate them for over 30 years as a member of the Men’s Club.

In the midst of all of this activity, he found time to be a great husband and father to six kids. Dad was a quiet man and his love shone brilliantly in his actions. We remember the camping trips as kids, the things he would say to make us laugh, the late night or early morning trips to the airport, to St FX, or across the province to rescue one of us. We always loved watching his uncontrollable laughter at slapstick comedy.  And we loved indulging his enjoyment of crossword puzzles and mints, or anything to satisfy his sweet tooth.

He leaves his wife Clare; six children, Larry, Elaine (Richard) Pellerin, Garry (Shelley), Shelley (Ian) Graham, Todd (Jen) and Donna (Trevor) McLeod; 14 grandchildren, Crystal (Stephen), Simon, Julia, Isaac, Megan, Kaleb, Kate, Rory, Callum, Jamie, Sloane, Alec, Liam and Kendra; and three great grandchildren, Conrad, Jessie and Lizzie.

Dad lived a great life and is a true example of maximizing your time on earth. We are proud of him and the example he set of taking initiative, pursuing your interests, giving to your community, showing kindness, humility, and quietly caring for those you love.

We are thankful for the wonderful care and support Dad received from Dr. Howard and the entire palliative care team at St Martha’s Hospital.

Visitation will be from 2-4 and 7-9 pm, on July 19^th, at the Dennis Haverstock Funeral Home in Port Hawkesbury. Funeral will be at 11 am on Saturday, July 20^th at Stella Maris Roman Catholic church in Creignish; Rev Barrett Clare-Johnson officiating. Reception to follow in the Creignish Recreation Centre. In recognition of Dad’s dedication to the upkeep of the parish, those who wish to make donations in his memory could contribute to the Stella Maris Cemetery Fund or Stella Maris Parish, Creignish.

DONATIONS

Donations can be made during the visitation, or by sending the donation to either the Stella Maris Cemetery Fund or Stella Maris Parish c/o Stella Maris Parish, 2170 Highway 19, Creignish, NS, B9A 1B4

Words of comfort may be forwarded to the family: www.haverstocks.com