Born: April 17th, 1921
Passed on: May 21st, 2013
DJ (Duncan John) ‘Rocky’ was the son of Murdock Angus and Mary (Smith) MacDonald, Rocky Side.
He was predeceased by his wife, Annie Neillena (Matheson); sisters, Christene (Angus) Montgomery, Annie Catherine ‘Nan’ MacDonald; brother, Donald Aulay MacDonald and brother-in-law, Dan Alex Matheson.
He is survived by his son, Billy and daughter, Cathey (George) Grant; sister-in-law, Jessie Ross; brother-in-law, Norman Matheson and very special niece, Marilyn Montgomery. He was immensely proud of grandchildren, Katrina, Jonathan, Nicholas, Matthew and Tim.
Speaking only Gaelic as a child, he went to the local school to learn English and, as he described it, “a few other things” stopping when he got to grade 10. At a very early age, he began fishing with his father, an occupation that would remain constant throughout his career. In 1942 he joined the Black Watch of the Canadian Army, 2nd Division. He was on active duty in Europe and was wounded in Belgium. He served until 1946 when he retired from the army. Returning home to Cape Breton he continued fishing and in 1950 joined the Federal civil service as a Fishery Officer. In 1986 he retired for the second time and became a business owner, selling oysters, clams, mussels and lobsters. Fish Haven employed seven local people and operated for 10 years, at which point DJ gave a third try at retiring.
DJ enjoyed life immensely, and filled each day to the brim. He loved to be on the move and to be around people. He travelled with family and friends whenever the opportunity arose and was an active and highly visible member of the community. He belonged to several groups for more than 50 years, including the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 53, The Baddeck Lions Club, Ephriam Scott Presbyterian Church, the Liberal Party of Canada, and the Gideons International. In later years he was an active member of the Free Wheelers. He was a fixture in the community at large, participating in meetings and events of all sorts, frequently more than one a day. He leaves behind a wide circle of acquaintances and friends. He was particularly fond of spending time with Hilda Proctor.
DJ's family wish to extend our gratitude and thanks to: Emmeline Campbell, Carol Williams and Crystal Williams. This team of special people made it possible for him to live out his last years at home in comfort and safety. DJ greatly appreciated their efforts and regarded them with affection and respect.
In keeping with his long years of service to his community, DJ donated his body to the Faculty of Medicine of Dalhousie University. The family will host times for remembrance from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m., Friday, May 31 at Ephriam Scott Presbyterian Church, South Haven. A celebration of DJ's life and legion service will be held at 2 p.m. at the church on June 1, with reception to follow at the South Haven Community Hall. Interment will take place at Harbour View Cemetery at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Ephriam Scott Memorial Fund or the Canadian Diabetes Association.