Coady Marsh
Born: March 20th, 1924
Passed in: Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada
Passed on: July 12th, 2012
On July 12, 2012 our family lost our very special husband, father and ‘Grandfather’. He passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family after a long and courageous battle with COPD.
Born on March 20, 1924, he was the son of the late Henry and Mary Jane (Kanary) Marsh.
Coady loved all children and became affectionately known by the school children as the ‘Smarties’ man. There wasn't a child that passed the house or that he came upon that didn't receive a box of Smarties. He was a very kind and generous man. He often picked up the tab at a restaurant or grocery store for both friends and people he didn't know. He also enjoyed travel, prospecting for gold, pursuing new business opportunities, playing rummy, loved family gatherings and telling stories. He took special pride in his home and was often found decorating his 50 windows for all occasions throughout the year. When he couldn't do it himself, he would simply “call John over”. Coady was very strong in his Catholic faith.
During WWII he served with the Royal Canadian Air Force, following which he studied at St. FX and then received an engineering degree from Technical University of Nova Scotia (Daltech). As a Mining Engineer, he spent 41 years in the coal mining industry in Canada. He began his career in 1949 with the Bras d'Or Coal Company and later with the Cape Breton Development Corporation until he retired in 1989. He published numerous technical papers and presented at various mining symposiums in Russia, Germany, USA and England. During his career he also designed and managed the construction phase of the Ocean Deeps Colliery, Miners Museum, Glace Bay.
He was a lifetime member of the Association of Professional Engineers of Nova Scotia (APENS). He was the only Maritimer to 1996 to receive the prestigious Distinguished Service Medal for contribution to the Mining Industry of Canada from the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (CIM) and the Mining Society of Nova Scotia Medal for distinguished service to the Mining Industry of Nova Scotia. He served as Vice President of CIM and President and Secretary/Treasurer of the Mining Society of Nova Scotia for over 30 years. He was Director of the Coal Task force in the preparation of Energy Plan for Nova Scotia.
Coady was well known in the business community. He established and operated Otarion Hearing Centre LTD for 35 years, providing more than 20,000 hearing aids to the hearing impaired. He was also Consulting Director in the establishment of Cape Breton Hearing Health Services Ltd. He was instrumental in creating and registering the governing body of the Hearing Aid Society of Nova Scotia and the creation and incorporation of the Atlantic Canada Hearing Aid Association and remained Honorary President.
He was actively involved in his community. He served on the Boards of Directors, Miner's Museum and the University College of Cape Breton, as Commanding Officer of Air Cadets (McCurdy Squadron), scout leader with Boy Scouts of Canada, as President of the Franklin Junior Hockey Team Association (NS Champs) and a valued member of St. Anne's Parish.
Coady is survived by his loving wife of 60 years, Irma (Melanson); his children, June O’Brien, Coady (Susan), Anthony (Natalie Hovey), Teresa Ann, Keith (Lisa Farrell), Laura (Evan Moorhouse); his cherished grandchildren, Leah (Mike Edmonds), Wayne Jr., Coady, Sammy (Melissa) and Tony Marsh, Jaye O’Brien, Danielle and John Marsh, Breton Moorhouse, Taylor Marsh, Justin Moorhouse and Jeremy Marsh; his step grandchildren, Trey and John Main. He is also survived by his sisters, Zita Armisha, Mary (Dophie) Marsh, Maurina Marsh, Marie Marsh and brothers, Brother Ninian (his twin), Dr. Stewart (Florence) Marsh, Father Anthony Marsh and Joe (Phyllis) Marsh; brother-in-law, Hartley Slade and several nieces and nephews.
Coady was predeceased by sons, Wayne and Joseph Jude; grandson, Jaren O’Brien; sisters, Mary, Dolores Slade and Gilbert Rose; brothers, Joe, Jimmy, Dennis, Sylvester, Alphonse and Henry.
Visitation will take place in V.J. McGillivray Funeral Home, 16 Reserve St., Glace Bay, on Sunday, July 15th 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. A funeral mass will be celebrated 11 a.m. on Monday at St. Anne's Parish, Main Street, Glace Bay, with Fr. Anthony Marsh officiating.
In lieu of flowers donations in Coady’s memory may be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), NS Lung Association, Palliative Care Cape Breton or VON Glace Bay.
Online condolences to the Marsh family are available through www.vjmcgillivray.ca.
