McDevitt, John Gerald- age 91 of Barrie, Ontario. We, the family of John McDevitt, are saddened to announce his sudden passing which occurred on October 16, 2017. Born in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia he was the last surviving child of the late Charles and Dorothy (nee Morrell) McDevitt. He was predeceased by his brother Lawrence, an infant brother, sisters Mary, Lillian, Catherine as well as his niece, Anne Guinan. He is survived by his devoted wife Carol, daughter Susan (David) Mayers, grandson Wade, who was his reason for living; along with Guinan nieces and nephews in Calgary, St. Augustin, Quebec and Truro, Nova Scotia. John left his beloved Yarmouth with his family and moved to Etobicoke when he was transferred by Beecham Canada Ltd. Known as the “Minard’s Linament Man” he brought the formulation from the Minard's plant in Yarmouth to Ontario. He retired from Smith Kline Beecham after more than 48 years service. Before leaving Yarmouth, John bowled with a local bowling league and he was a dedicated volunteer firefighter, once saving a llama from a docked and burning circus ship. An enthusiastic gardener, John was also a devoted Toronto Blue Jays fan from the team’s inception. He loved to watch the games regardless of if he was at home or at the family cottage at Sebim Beach in Nova Scotia. He looked forward to travelling back to Yarmouth every summer since relocating to Ontario in 1967, only missing one summer trip due to an unfortunate hospitalization. Visitation was held at ADAMS FUNERAL HOME (445 St. Vincent Street, Barrie) on Friday from 2-4 & 7-9 p.m. A Memorial Service was held in the Chapel on Saturday, October 21, 2017 at 11 o’clock a.m. with visitation from 10 a.m. A graveside committal service will occur next summer at the Mountain Cemetery in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. Donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Society or a charity of your choice. Messages of condolence may be forwarded to the family through adamsfuneralhome.ca
Gone are the stories, gone is the laughter but the memories will live on.