MACINNIS, Roderick Joseph

Born on July 7, 1933, passed peacefully on Tuesday, May 3, 2022, in the Valley Hospice, Kentville, surrounded by family. He had endured an almost fouryear battle with cancer. He is survived by his loving wife, Mary; daughters, Mary Jean, Anne, Patricia (Brad) Sweet; as well as sons, Scott (Kim), John (Jennifer), and Jason (Jill). He was a devoted grandpa to Emily, Olivia, Caty and Elijah Sweet, Kassidy, Lachlan, Rebecca, Angus, Austin, Sarah, Hunter, Jason A.; and great-granddaughter, Charlotte; a loving brother to Mary (Alex) Farrell, and Gertrude. He was predeceased by brothers, Ralph and James. Born in Goose River, Prince Edward Island, Rod and his family moved to Nova Scotia when he was eight. He fell in love with this province and vowed to never leave it. He met Mary while paddling war canoes on Lake Banook. They married and raised their family in Yarmouth until 1980, at which time they moved to the beautiful Annapolis Valley where all their offspring reside. An avid outdoorsman, he enjoyed hunting, snowmobiling, fishing, and boats. As a young man, he and a group of friends owned a schooner and he delighted in that time of his life. His love of boats persisted throughout his life, whether he was out on one of his brother-in-law's fishing boats, canoeing, or enjoying a spin in a motorboat on a local lake. Rod believed strongly in community. He served as Village Water Commissioner in New Minas in the 1990s. He also served on the Board of the Flower Cart and took a deep interest in the progress of that organization. He served on many other boards as well. He was a devoted member of the Liberal Party and worked tirelessly to elect candidates he believed in. He believed in active involvement to ensure progress and change in our society. In addition, he was a member of St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church in Kentville, he took deep solace in his faith. From his time as a Catholic school student in Dartmouth until his later days in life, Rod cherished his connection to the church. Many thanks to all the medical professionals who participated in Rod's care plan over the past four years. Dr. Forward, Nurse Danielle, Dr. Wadden, all the Lab personnel at Valley Regional, nurses, caregivers, the Victorian Order of Nurses, the pharmacy team at Wal-mart, the team at Valley Hospice, and all who made his final years as comfortable as possible. A special thanks to son-in-law, Brad, who coordinated Rod's visits to his oncologist and accompanied him to all his appointments. Rod appreciated all of you more than you can know. Cremation has taken place. Visitation will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 12, in the White Family Funeral Home, Kentville. A funeral Mass in honour of Rod will be held at 12:00 noon on Saturday, May 14, in St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church, Kentville, Father Keith Billard officiating. A video webcast of the service will be available at noon on Sunday, May 15. Burial will take place in the Holy Cross Cemetery, Kentville. Donations in Rod’s memory may be made to Valley Hospice Foundation. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the White Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Kentville. For online condolences, inquiries and to view the webcast, please visit: www.whitefamilyfuneralhome.com