August 24, 1937 - May 3, 2022
In Loving Memory ~
With heavy hearts and great sadness, the family of Jock MacNeill announce his peaceful passing at Hospice at the Views in Comox, BC on May 3, 2022, at age 84.
Jock leaves behind his loving family. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Eileen MacNeill; son Jack and his wife, Monika, of West Vancouver, BC; daughter, Heather of Courtenay, BC; daughter Claudette (Cleo) and her husband, Eric, of Whitehorse, Yukon; and son Rod of Courtenay, BC; as well as eight grandchildren, Olivia (Gage), Nigel, Alexander, Scott (Myriam), Kailey, Kayden, Settea, Meaghan. He also leaves behind two great-grandchildren, Kanon (Settea's son) and Pio (Scott & Myriam's son). He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Arliss of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and her children Ellen (Brent), Campbell (Ingrid) and Brooke (Brian) and her many grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Jock was born on August 24, 1937 in North Battleford, Saskatchewan and was four years younger than his brother Jim. He married his high school sweetheart, Eileen Robson, in 1959. Jock was raised in small town Kerrobert, Saskatchewan, and had a desire to explore and learn. He found his lifelong vocational passion early in life, becoming a teacher in 1958. Jock and Eileen accepted teaching and educational administrative opportunities in several far-reaching destinations including: Nigeria, Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), Germany, the Yukon, the Peace River district in Alberta and numerous locations throughout Saskatchewan. Jock found great joy in unlocking the mystery of learning to students, particularly in his early teaching days as a secondary school English teacher. In 2005 after retirement, Jock and Eileen left their beautiful home on Jackfish Lake, Saskatchewan and moved to Courtenay, BC, where they lived a very comfortable and social life. Jock and Eileen loved to travel and together they continued to explore diverse countries and cultures.
Jock was a fine athlete as a young man, competing in field and track events and specializing in middle distance competitions. He enjoyed playing soccer, golf, skiing, table tennis, darts and curling. He was an outdoorsman; raised to hunt and fish as a means of subsistence for many of his early years. He found great solace and belonging in the mountains, rivers, lakes and fields he walked, paddled and boated, with his numerous adventure buddies. Often accompanied by one of his many well-loved and cherished Springers, Jock was very comfortable and at ease in the outdoors. He was well-read and had a great appreciation for good writing and prose. Jock loved playing cards; particularly he played bridge, cribbage, hearts, solitaire and did so right up until his death. After retirement from education, Jock found a passion for painting. His artwork was a creative expression of who he was: colourful and dynamic. In 2015, he had a successful art exhibition at the Pearl Ellis Art Gallery, in Comox. He enjoyed numerous life-long friendships and loved nothing more than sharing good food and wine with his family, many friends and acquaintances. Jock thoroughly enjoyed the countless social gatherings he and Eileen hosted over the years, regardless of where they were living.
Jock lived his life to the fullest, squeezed a lot into his 84 years. His life was filled with meaningful work, wonderful adventures, travel, love, and great friendships. He had a mischievous sense of humour with a twinkle in his eyes and loved to share his many fascinating stories. He will be greatly missed by his family and his numerous friends and acquaintances, near and far.
The family would like to thank the many doctors and nurses who cared for him at North Island Hospital Comox Valley and particularly the staff at the Hospice at The Views in Comox. The family would also like to express their deepest gratitude and thanks for the compassionate and exceptional care that Jock received by Dr. Bakshi and Dr. Fehlau.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Hospice at The Views Palliative Care Unit through the Comox Valley Healthcare Foundation. www.cvhealthcarefoundation.com
Condolences can be offered to the family via sending email to info@comoxvalleyfuneralhome.com
Jock's wishes were to have a small family gathering to celebrate his life which will occur sometime during the summer of 2022.