Obituary of John Roland Aucoin, New Waterford

It is with heavy hearts that we the family, announce the peaceful passing of John R. Aucoin, at the age of 90, on June 20, 2021, at the Maple Hill Manor in New Waterford. John was born in Cheticamp, N.S. on April 1, 1931, the son of the late Octave and Alma Aucoin. John came to New Waterford as a 16 year old, with the help of his older brother, Greg. Too young to work in the coal mines John worked for a few years in the woods. At 18 he entered the mines where he worked for about 40 years in various collieries including #12, #16, #26 and Lingan Mine. John married Elizabeth (Cormier) Aucoin in 1954 and they had 53 years together until mom passed away in 2007. John is survived by his five children, James (Donna) Aucoin, Paul (Rose) Aucoin, Dianne (Stephen) Walker, Irene (Dale) Brady, and Lorraine (Adrien) Comeau and his seven grandchildren, Courtney and Steven Aucoin, Doug and Tommy Walker, Rebecca and Jocelyn Brady, and Olivia Comeau. John is also predeceased by his brother, Greg Aucoin, sister, Adrienne Boudreau, and grandson, Ryan Aucoin. To know our dad was to love him. As he walked downtown New Waterford he would wave at almost everyone, and it was difficult to walk to a store and back without many people stopping to say hi to him. He had a warm smile for everyone he spoke to. He was a caring, compassionate, gentle man who gave back to his community in various ways over the years; volunteering at the Manor, Cercle Evangeline and St. Agnes church to name just a few. He sang in the adult choir at St. Agnes, participated in an Outreach group in recent years and continued to attend the church in the Parish of St. Leonard, until COVID-19 brought all his activities to a stand still. Saturday mornings at the Manor meant dad would be playing his fiddle during the Men’s coffee group. He enjoyed that immensely. When I asked him if he practised his fiddle he said- “yes, in the bathroom so I don’t disturb the residents”. True to his nature, respectful of others. Years ago, during our childhood, mom and dad hosted ‘kitchen parties’ with fiddles, guitars, beer, food and laughter. Our favorite story has dad off to the bathroom and someone (Little Joe) put lard on the bow. Dad came back, picked up the fiddle and bow, and to his horror, a sad squeak came out of his instrument. The joke was sure on him. Everyone, including dad, had a good laugh. It was nothing that a new set of strings couldn’t fix. Dad recalls that when he first got his fiddle as a child, his parents threatened that if he didn’t start making some music with it, they were going to throw it out. We are so glad that did not happen and that he played for many years after that. Dad was good to our neighbors growing up and was always willing to help others, even when there were struggles in his own life. He was a quiet man who never complained and that held true right up to his last breath. He took what life threw at him and for the most part ‘rolled with it’. He was good to us children and helped us out many times throughout the years and for that we are incredibly grateful. We miss him dearly and hope that he is at peace. Our family would like to extend special thanks to the caring staff and residents at the Maple Hill Manor for their compassion and for creating a home for him during his six year stay. We express our gratitude to the staff at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital and the palliative care team. Visitation will be held Thursday, June 24th from 10:30-11:30 a.m. in V.J. McGillivray Funeral Home, 380 Smith Street, New Waterford. COVID-19 restrictions apply; masks and social distancing are mandatory. A private family Funeral Mass of celebration will be held in the Parish Church of St. Leonard with Father Peter McLeod officiating. Burial will follow in St. Agnes Cemetery. Online expressions of sympathy may be sent to the family at : www.vjmcgillivray.ca In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: Maple Hill Manor, the New Waterford Mental Health clinic, or to the Canadian Cancer Society.