John Francis Brennan
Born In: North Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada
Born: December 27th, 1924
Passed in: North Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada
Passed on: December 12th, 2009
John Francis Brennan, a true son of Cape Breton Island passed away Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009, at his home in North Sydney.
Born in North Sydney, December 27, 1924, John was the son of the late Gerald and Elizabeth (Penny) Brennan. He attended St. Mary’s University in Halifax, graduating with a BS degree, before enlisting in the war effort aboard HMCS Oshawa as a Stoker and was present at the surrender of German Submarine U889 off the coast of Newfoundland in the dying days of the Second World War.
A man of vision with a passion for travel, he thereafter joined the family wholesale business as a salesman who toured the many rural shops and villages woven throughout Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, developing relationships along the way which outlast his lifetime. In the early 1960s he expanded the North Sydney Warehouse to become the Canadian Agent for the French Colonies of St. Peirre & Miquelon prompting the construction of the French wharf waterfront facilities and the establishment of Brennan’s Travel Bureau & Agency. The last man to board the ferry before Newfoundland confederation, John had a flare for the dramatic as was later evidenced when he landed in Moscow as a tourism delegate along with the Canadian Press Corp. aboard Air Canada’s inaugural flight to the Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War.
He established Atlantic Cruise Lines with local investors and brought Scottish Cruise Ship MV St. Ninian to tour Atlantic Canada, “The French Islands†and the waters of Bras d’Or. Encouraging friends to join him, he orchestrated numerous group expeditions to exotic destinations, sharing his passion and curiosity of foreign lands with clients worldwide. An avid sailor all his life he pioneered marketing Cape Breton as a world class destination and was instrumental as Commodore of the Northern Yacht Club in its successful bid to host the World Snipe Championships in 1979. Well known for his gregarious and generous qualities, his ongoing involvement in community service included the Northside Kinsmen, the Knights of Columbus and the Canadian Cancer Society where for years he headed the annual Daffodil Drive.
John was a member of St. Joseph’s Church, North Sydney.
John is survived by his devoted wife and best friend, Joan (MacLeod) Brennan; his brother, Gerald ‘Bruz’ (Jeannie); his sister, Celine (Jack) Hatherly; his six children, John (Helen), Jeannie (John), Tom, Terry (Marilee), Jim (Linda), Pat (Stephanie) and their mother Dorothy Brennan, his 11 grandchildren, Ishmael, Jude, Miriah, Brittany, Talia, Colin, Johnny, Alana, Cameron, Elise and Chloe, and also by his nieces and nephews.
Besides his parents he was predeceased by, Yvette Bartlett Brennan.
Visitation for John will be held from 7-9 p.m. on Wednesday and 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. on Thursday in the W.J. Dooley Funeral Home, 107 Pleasant St., North Sydney. Funeral mass will be celebrated 10 a.m. Friday at St. Joseph’s Church with Rev. Jim Attwood officiating, with a reception to follow in the church basement. Burial in Holy Cross Cemetery, North Sydney.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Northern Yacht Club “Junior Sailing Program†or the Canadian Cancer Society.
Online condolences may be sent to info@wjdooley.com.
“May fair winds follow you on your voyage, skipper.â€
