Robert Leroy McCready, age 70 of Truro, passed away on August 8th, 2015 in the QEII VG Site, Halifax.
A long time love and soul mate of fiancée Joan Forbes has come and gone with the passing of Robert Leroy (Lip) McCready. Leroy was born on December 29th, 1944 to the late June McCready and was raised by his great great aunt the late Blanche Willis who loved him dearly.
Leroy was always a worker starting at the young age of 9 when he would cut kindling and shovel coal for the elderly people of Young Street. He would later work for his uncle the late Ike Willis on the garbage truck as well as wheeling cement for the late Dave Paris and Fosco-Cox roofing and sheet metal. He then joined the military in November of 1963 at the age of 19 and served 27 years with the Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR) Black Watch. He also later served as a Mobile Support Equipment Operator (MSE OP), retiring as a Master Corporal. While in the Military he was stationed at Gagetown, N.B., London, Ont., Shilo, Man. and Debert, N.S. and served a number of years overseas in Germany, Egypt, Cyprus, Isreal and Norway. He was a well travelled man with lots of stories and loved to tell them to everybody.
After the Military, Leroy started his own business selling products at home shows, travelling across the Atlantic Provinces for 8 years. He also worked in Grand Prairie, AB planting and harvesting Canola and working for OK Tire. He then retired and returned to his beloved home Truro, Nova Scotia to be with his family and long time love Joan.
He was a great outdoorsman and loved to hunt and fish and would spend hours on a lake or in the woods. He was also a great hockey and ball player with hockey being his passion. As a young man, he was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings but family matters kept him from going any further. He played local hockey for Bible Hill Dairymen, Hilden Owls and McClure’s Jets as well as the Stellerton Jr. Team. He also played hockey for the RCR Blackwatch, where he played and met players the likes of Maurice (THE ROCKET) Richard and Dickie Moore. Leroy also played ball with the Brookfield Elks, where he hit a memorable home run to put the elks into the playoffs. Leroy was a winner and loved to win at any game he played.
Leroy is survived by his true love and soul mate, fiancée, Joan Forbes and her children, Art, Shelly, Christine and their families. He is also survived by his former wife, Bev Cassel and her husband, Jim Jennings, Florida; step sons, Glen (Rosemary), Moncton, Kenny, Pictou and Bobby, New Glasgow, Paquette and step daughter, Trina Cote (Paquette), Grand Prairie, AB, along with several grand and great grand step children. He is survived by his half-sister, Anna Atkinson, Minnesota; half-brothers, Donnie McCready and Billy Spuzak, Thunder Bay, ON. Also survived by sister in law, Theresa Willis and nephews, Jim and Steve (Cathy) Willis and nieces, Colleen and Sandra (Derrick) Willis and Terry (Kevin) Jackson (Willis), great nephew, Jason Willis and many other special nieces and nephews. Uncles, Alfred (AT), Jim and Charles (Harriet) McCready and Aunts Wanda Wootton, ON and Aggie (Wayne) Lattie. There are so many relations that are survived by this great man that we cannot list, know that he loved each and every one of you.
He was predeceased by his birth mother, June Randus (McCready), foster mother, Blanche Willis; foster brother, Jim Willis; uncle, Gordie McCready and grandmother, Bess McCready as well as other close family members.
Leroy was a man known around the world by many people. Love and happiness seemed follow him where ever he went. He was a story teller and everyone who listened was amazed at the things that he had done and places he travelled. He will be loved and missed forever by all who knew him.
RIP our great man.
Visitation will be held on Thursday, August 13th from 6-8pm beginning with a Royal Canadian Legion Tribute Service. Funeral Service will be held on Friday, August 14th at 11am all in the Colchester Community Funeral Home, 512 Willow Street, Truro. Family flowers only. Donations in memory of Leroy may be made to Canadian Cancer Society. Online messages of condolence may be made at www.ColchesterCommunity.com




LOVE YOU TO THE MOON AND BACK
HIGHER THAN THE HIGHEST PINES
DEEPER THAN THE DEEPEST OCEANS
THAT’S HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU