Obituary of John Percy McNiven

JOHN “JACK” PERCY McNIVEN February 24, 1921 - August 3, 2013 John passed away peacefully at the General Hospital with the bright early morning sunshine lighting his face on Saturday, August 3, 2013, with his family by his side at the age of 92 years. There was a burial service at the Regina Cemetery on Friday, August 9, 2013 and a Royal Canadian Legion honor guard played the Last Post in his honor. Predeceased by his parents Neil and Elizabeth, brothers Edward and Stewart, John is survived by his life partner and loving wife, Patricia (nee Angott); son, Alexander (Nancy nee Moser); grandson Shawn (Christina nee Seyler); great grandchildren, Hamish and Willem; brothers, Donald, Raymond (Mavis) and Lawson (Rena), and; brother-in-law, Patrick Angott. John is also survived by dozens of nieces and nephews. John was born in Carlton PEI in 1921 and moved to Regina at the age of 2 years. He grew up in Regina and attended Sacred Heart School. John helped to support his family before enlisting in the Second Division as a Signalman in the spring of 1942. He trained at Maple Creek SK and Kingston ON. Prior to being shipped overseas in January 1944, he volunteered for the Canadian Army’s secret counter enemy chemical warfare testing program at Suffield AB. Due the nature of the program, it remained a military secret until recently. His efforts and the several hundred other servicemen were recognized by the Canadian government on February 19, 2004. He landed at Juno Beach on June 7, 1944 the second day of the Allied invasion of the continent. Once on the continent, he was assigned a jeep and along with a special intelligence agent and a sharpshooter and he spent most of his time behind enemy lines in France, Belgium, Holland and Germany tracking enemy movements and sending back key intelligence information to the advancing Canadian and Allied forces. When the war ended John was already well past Hamburg several hundred kilometres ahead of his army unit. On his return to Regina, John spent over 30 years at the Canadian Pacific Railroad and was president of the local union shop. During this time, he was also actively involved in the auto and house building industries. John’s other passion was politics, whether it was at the municipal, provincial or national level and he was a life-long member of the Liberal Party. He loved his country Canada, his province and Regina and was a founding member of the Regina Civic Association. John was a tireless supporter of Regina promoting its economic and social development particularly during the many lean years when the city’s economic development fell far behind its western competitors due to civic mismanagement. John touched many peoples’ lives and he made many friends over the years. He was constantly making new friends and people would drop into the family home, the door was always open, to ask his advice on a variety of issues. He was always willing to do so or help out in any way he could including taking their causes forward with his name behind their concern. John loved to fish and hunt and he was an avid Roughrider supporter. Patricia and he spent many happy years at their summer residence at Wasa Lake BC enjoying the scenic beauty of the famous mountain lake in the Kootenay. How we will miss your smiling face and your sense of humor. You taught us so much about life and how you enjoyed each day at a time. You influenced each of our lives and the many people who came to know you through your joie de vive, love of nature and your deep passion to make your beloved Canada, the country you defended, a better place to live for all future generations. You always had a timely and wise piece of advice when someone needed it and a thought or a funny story. None on earth can take your place and we wish we could have had you longer, but we count our blessings that we had you for so many years already. We will dearly miss you and we know that everyone else who knew you will as well! Thank you for all the beautiful memories when we were together. May God care for you as you cared for us. The family would like to extend their sincerest appreciation to Doctors Aboguddah, Blignaut, Courtney and Duffy and the nursing team at the General Hospital in Wards 5A and 6F for the wonderful care and happiness they provided John over the past several weeks while he was in their care. To leave an online message of condolence, please visit www.speersfuneralchapel.com