Cape Breton Deaths courtesy of CAPE BRETON GENEALOGY & HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION VISIT OUR WEBSITE - <http://www.cbgen.org/>www.cbgen.org NEW MEMBERS WELCOME Cape Breton Deaths December 11, 2013 Wednesday There were 8 obituaries published today Bill Jessome - 88 yrs Trevor Joseph Leadbeater - 49 yrs Sarah '"Sadie" Campbell - 81 yrs Catherine Peters - 92 yrs Helen (LeBlanc) MacNeil - 79 yrs John Allister "Johnny" Weir - 90 yrs Faye Rich - 67 yrs Theresa MacIsaac - 101 yrs Bill Jessome Born In: Whitney Pier Passed in: Halifax, Canada Passed on: December 9th, 2013 We've lost one of our greatest storytellers. Bill Jessome died Monday, Dec. 9, 2013, at night, in Camp Hill's Veteran's Memorial Building in Halifax surrounded by loving family. He was 88. The world was preparing to go to war in Europe when Bill stepped up onto the buckboard, grabbed the reins and began his journey into adulthood in Sydney. Still a young teen, Bill guided his horse drawn wagon through the streets of Whitney Pier making deliveries and earning a few dollars to help out at home. By the time he turned 18 he was ready to serve his family, and his country, far from home. Bill joined up, and went off to fight in Italy. After the war, Bill was no longer content to roam the streets of his childhood. He fought to protect the world from evil, and he was ready to see what the world had to offer in exchange. That's when the rail-thin ex-soldier spotted a beautiful girl at a bus stop on Charlotte Street. Rose Rizok owned Bill's heart from that first glance until his final breath. Bill had high hopes for a Pier Boy. He wanted to break into the exciting new field of television. He took his new bride, his dreams and his determination to New England and New York. Bill broke into TV and worked with broadcast legends Ed Asner and Jack Paar. Despite the glitz of The Big Apple and the charm of Beantown Bill answered the call of home. He returned to Sydney and launched a brilliant broadcast career. Bill helped pioneer a tone and style of TV storytelling still copied by young broadcasters today. Bill's talents took him from the horse drawn wagon of his youth to conversations with prime ministers and royalty. Through it all he never lost touch with that wide eyed young boy on the buckboard. He maintained a personal gentleness and grace honed in humble beginnings. Bill's broadcast legacy, his honour and his reputation are secure as he marks the end of this journey. Among his many accomplishments he would cite meeting and marrying Rose as the biggest. He might just list the love of their precious dog Muffy as the second. Rose left this life long before Bill as did their son Richard Rizok. Bill's twin brother Mike and his brothers Aubrey, Phonse and Leo along with his sister Mary Neville and his parents Phonse Sr. and Katherine died before him as well. He leaves behind his brothers Roy and Roddie and sisters Delores Graham and Eleanor George and his cherished grandchildren Michelle, Glenna, Glenn and Jonathan Rizok. We believe he is walking with Rose now as Muffy bounces beside them. Join us as we say good bye to Bill. Visitation will be at T.W. Curry Parkview Chapel, 755 George St., Sydney on Friday, Dec. 13 from 2-4 p.m/ and from 7-9 p.m. Funeral mass will be celebrated at Holy Redeemer Church on Victoria Road in Whitney Pier Saturday morning at 11 a.m.. Reception to follow in the basement of the church. If you can't be with us please share your thoughts about Bill online courtesy of J.A. Snow Funeral Home in Halifax at www.jasnowfuneralhome.com. Trevor Leadbeater Born In: New Waterford Passed in: New Waterford Passed on: December 8th, 2013 It was with great sadness that we announce the passing of an amazing husband, father, brother and friend of so many. He passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his many loved ones on Dec. 8, 2013, after a six year courageous and inspirational battle with cancer. Trevor was born in New Waterford, the son of the late Allie and Mary Leadbeater. He began his career as a bartender 30 years ago at the age of 18 at the Stag & Doe which is where Trevor developed his love for darts by watching his parents play. Trevor remained at the Stag throughout three different ownerships, lastly being Joey and Jill Williams who he remained employed with throughout the remainder of his career at the Stag, Jack Duggans, The Heather, and J.T's. Trevor was an avid sports fan and enjoyed playing pool, horseshoes, bowling and loved his yearly cribbage tourn with the "Boys from Truro" over the last 25 years. His main passion was playing darts as he played in leagues throughout the years, as well as various Regional and Provincal dart shoots. Trevor was a diehard Montreal Canadiens fan and loved the rivalry he had with his brother's Boston Bruins and any "Leaf" fan he crossed paths with. He was a member of the Army, Navy and Air Force Unit 217, N.W for 23 years and has spear-headed numerous memorial tournaments and fundraisers throughout the years. He was the first to help out anyone in need in any way he could. Throughout his career he made and maintained many and lifelong friendships which remain intact today. Trevor is survived by his wife of 13 years Kelly (Varrence) Leadbeater; daughters, Evelyn, Farrah (Mrs. Chris Keeping) and "Baby Girl" Kiley; sisters, Debbie Walker, Karen (Mrs. Cameron Rankin) and Michelle (Mrs. Eldon Meery); brother and best friend Allie (Leah) Leadbeater and his two special girls Madeline and Michelle Leadbeater. Trevor is also survived by his three grandchildren, Parker, Tyra and Allie who were "Papa's Babies" and also a special granddaughter Ella; his father-in-law Joe (Sandy) Varrence; his brothers-in-law, Gilbert (Shannon) Varrence, Michael Matthys and many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins. Trevor will also be also sadly missed by a long list of true and loyal friends which he considered family. He was predeceased by his mother-in-law, Velma (Gilbert) Varrence, his sister-in-law, Rhonda and his special angel and son Brandon. Visitation will be held on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013, from 2-4, 7-9 p.m. A funeral mass will be held 10 a.m., Friday, Dec. 13, 2013, with Fr. Ray Huntley officiating followed by a luncheon at the Army, Navy & Air Force, Smith St. All are welcomed. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of McLellan Brothers Funeral Home, 3183 Plummer Ave., New Waterford, 862-7500. Donations in memory of Trevor can be made to a charity of one's choice. To send online condolences go to www.mclellanfuneralhome.com. Sarah 'Sadie' Campbell Born In: New Waterford Passed in: New Waterford It is with great sorrow the family wish to announce the passing of their mother, grandmother and sister, Sadie Campbell at the New Waterford Consolidated Hospital. Born in New Waterford, she was the daughter of the late Nelson and Gertrude (Perfect) Desveaux. Sadie worked for many years at the Maple Hill Manor on the housekeeping staff. In her earlier years she loved to play bingo, family, friends and grandchildren were very important to her. She is survived by sons, Arthur 'Artie' (Faye), Ontario, Ricky (Marilyn), River Ryan, James 'Jimmy' (Sherri), Eastern Passage, Dougie, at home, David (Lana), Dartmouth; sisters, Mary Delaney, Ontario, Katherine Hill, Point Edward, Martha (Ray) Penny; sister-in-law, Muriel and brother, Joey, both of New Waterford; 16 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. Besides her parents Sadie was also predeceased by her husband, Art, brother, Elias, sisters, Josephine, Marie and granddaughter, Sarah. Cremation has taken place and a chapel service will be held Friday, Dec. 13 at 2 p.m. with Fr. Ray Huntley officiating in McLellan Brothers Funeral Home Chapel, 3183 Plummer Ave., New Waterford, 862-7500. Burial in St. Agnes Cemetery followed by a luncheon in the Army, Navy & Air Force, Smith St. and all are welcome. Donations in her memory can be made to the Maple Hill Manor. To send online condolences to the family go to www.mclellanfuneralhome.com. Catherine Peters Born In: Donkin Born: September 22nd, 1921 Passed in: Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada Passed on: December 8th, 2013 With great sadness we mourn the passing of Catherine Campbell Peters of The Kenneth E. Spencer Memorial Home, Moncton, N.B., who passed away on Sunday, Dec. 8, 2013. Catherine was born on Sept. 22, 1921 in Donkin, Nova Scotia to parents, Gus and Anna (MacDonald) MacCuish. She was always very proud of her Cape Breton heritage. Catherine is survived by her children, Eric (Carmen), Anna, Bill, Mary (Ed) Daley, Jeanne (Len) Flanagan and several grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Surviving in-laws include, Donald and Sue MacVicar, Ruth and Howard Mackinnon and Audrey and Michael Butler. Catherine was predeceased by her husband, William E. 'Bill' Peters; daughter, Cathy; her brother, Roderick MacCuish and his wife Jean and her brother in-law, James MacVicar and his wife, Anne. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Visions United Church Memorial Fund, the Canadian Diabetic Association or a charitable organization of the donor's choice. There will be an evening of visitation on Friday from 7-9 p.m. at Cobb's Funeral Home and Cremation Center, 330 Whitepine Rd., Riverview, N.B., (506-869-2007). A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2013 at 1 p.m. from Cobb's Funeral Home Memorial Chapel with Rev. Christine MacLeod officiating. Online condolences may be expressed at www.cobbsfuneralhome.ca. Helen MacNeil Born In: Florence Born: November 5th, 1934 Passed in: North Sydney Passed on: December 9th, 2013 Helen (LeBlanc) MacNeil, 79, of Bras d'Or, passed away on Monday, Dec. 9, 2013, at the Northside General Hospital. Born in Florence on Nov. 5, 1934, she was the daughter of the late Alexander and Lillian (Jessome) LeBlanc. She was a member of St. Joseph Parish, Bras d'Or. Helen is survived by her three sons, Sandy, Danny and Robbie. Also left to mourn are her nine grandchildren; sisters, Juanita Day, Mae MacLean, Rosella Steele, Elaine Wheeler and Marguerite MacIntyre and her brothers, Purvis, Garfield, Daniel, Georgie, Douglas and Louis. Besides her parents, she was predeceased by her husband, Joe; brothers, Benjamin, Clarence, Ambrose, Stephen and Richard and her sister, Sr. Marie LeBlanc of St. Martha's. Visitation for Helen will be held in the J. M. Jobes Funeral Home, 635 Main St., Sydney Mines, today (Wednesday), Dec. 11, 2013, from 2-4 & 7-9 p.m. A celebration of her life will take place on Thursday, at 10:30 a.m. in St. Joseph Church, Bras d'Or, with Fr. Sandy MacNeil officiating. The burial will be in the parish cemetery. A reception will be held in the parish hall, after the service. Donations in Helen's memory may be made to St. Joseph Parish Cemetery. Expressions of sympathy may be forwarded to the family at www.jmjobesfuneralhome.com. John 'Johnny' Weir Born In: New Aberdeen Born: December 28th, 1923 Passed in: Glace Bay Passed on: December 8th, 2013 John Allister 'Johnny' Weir, 90, passed away on Dec. 8, 2013, at Taigh Na Mara Veteran's Home in Glace Bay, N.S. He was born on Nov. 28, 1923 in New Aberdeen, Glace Bay to George Brenton and Hannah (MacDonald) Weir. Following radio school in Saint John, N.B., he joined the air force and received more telecommunication training in Montreal. He joined the air force and was stationed in Newfoundland and Ontario, where he taught communications, radio and Morse Code to the pilots who were to fight overseas. After the Second World War, he worked for both the Department of Transport and the Canadian Coast Guard in Telecommunications (ship-to-shore and air-to-shore radio) which took him to places such as Canso, N.S.; Resolution Island, Nunavut; Camperdown, N.S.; In 1957 he relocated to Sable Island, N.S. with his wife Lillian 'Lil' and two young daughters, Grace and Helen, to take charge of the radio station. After moving home to Coxheath in 1960, their third daughter, Velma, was born in 1961. Johnny and Lil resided in a bungalow that they built on the Mira River and later became Snowbirds, visiting Sarasota, Florida every year. On July 28, 1998 Johnny had the honour of sending the last Morse Code message at the Coast Guard College in Point Edward, Cape Breton. Johnny was a walking encyclopedia of jokes. He played hockey in the air force and was a fan of baseball, golf, fishing, boating, Seinfeld, and big band music. He loved to sing and play his ukulele. Johnny kept up with changes in information technology throughout his life. He was predeceased by his wife, Lillian (Phillips) Weir; his parents, George and Hannah; his three sisters, Katherine 'Kay' Cody, Prudence 'Prudy' Pike, Norberta 'Bubs' Collins and one nephew, Marvin Pike. He is survived by his three daughters, Grace (Glenn) Illsley of Brookfield, N.S.; Helen (Alan) Spinney of Moncton, N.B. and Velma (Cal) King of Sault Ste Marie, Ont.; his grandchildren, Lisa (Jazz) Gado of Hong Kong; Susan (Darren Maiden) Illsley of Hong Kong; Kaitlyn King of Sault Ste Marie, Ont. and Colin King of Sault Ste Marie; his brother-in-law, Jimmy Collins of Glace Bay; nephew, David (Ena Gwen) Jones of Ottawa Ont., several other nieces and nephews, and long time family friend Rita MacIsaac of Inverness. The family would like to thank the physicians and staff of the Cape Breton Regional Hospital, Williston House, Taigh Na Mara Veterans Home and Forest Haven (for cremation and burial). A gathering to celebrate Johnny's life will be held in the Newgen Room at Days Inn, Kings Road, Sydney on Friday, Dec. 13, 2013 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Family flowers only. Donations can be made to charities of your choice. The family can be reached at [email protected] or by phoning 902-890-2704. Faye Rich Passed in: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Passed on: December 8th, 2013 It is with heavy hearts we announce the passing of our wife, mother, sister and grandmother, Faye Rich on Dec. 8, 2013 in Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Halifax. She was the daughter of the late Ralph and Helen (Miller) Hachey. Faye worked at the Maple Hill Manor for a number of years. As a homemaker, she enjoyed spending time with her family and friends. She loved to play bingo, baking and her grandchildren were her pride and joy. She is survived by her loving husband, Micky; sons, Michael (Virginia), Kenny (Michelle) and daughter, Leah (Allie) Leadbeater; brother, Ken (Diane) Hachey; grandchildren, Brittney, Leanne, Stephanie, Cody, Morgan and Duncan, also four great-grandchildren. Faye is also survived by her Aunt Linda Rushton and special cousin, Faye Corkum. Besides her parents she was also predeceased by her sister, Janice (McGreevy) and uncle, Cyril Rushton. There will be no visitation, a private burial will take place. Arrangements are under the direction of McLellan Brothers Funeral Home, 3183 Plummer Ave., New Waterford, 862-7500. Donations can be made to the Maple Hill Manor. To send online condolence to the family go to: www.mclellanfuneralhome.com. Theresa MacIsaac Born In: Sydney Born: February 25th, 1912 Passed in: Sydney Passed on: December 8th, 2013 Theresa MacIsaac, age 101, passed away at the MacGillvray Guest Home on Monday, Dec. 9, 2013. Born in Sydney on Feb. 25, 1912, she was the daughter of the late Michael and Anita (Sataeu) Martinello. She was a member of Sacred Heart parish, Sydney. Theresa was a person who loved knitting, cooking and crafts as well as years ago, being an avid bridge player with her many friends. She is survived by sons, Arthur (Carol Ann), Ottawa, David 'Buddy' (Jennie), Sydney Forks, Ronald (Mary), Dartmouth and Alex (Bernice), Glace Bay. Theresa will be greatly missed by her 12 grandchildren, Bobby, Keith, Carolyn, Carol Ann, Diane, Kenny, Jennifer, Susanne, Scott, Jamie, Alison, and Blair; also 16 great-grandchildren and one great-great-granddaughter and sister-in-law, Annie Martinello. Besides her parents, Theresa was predeceased by her husband, David in1986; brothers, Andrew, Louie, and Edward and sisters, Rita Smith and Violet Richards. She was also predeceased by a grandson, David. As per Theresa's wishes, there will be no visitation; the funeral mass will be celebrated on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013 at 10 a.m. at St. Joseph's Church, Sydney, with Rev. Bill Burke officiating. Interment in Resurrection Cemetery, Sydney Forks. Memorial donations may be made to MacGillivray Guest Home or to a charity of your choice. Online condolences may be sent by visiting www.twcurry.com EXTRA TO CB DEATHS****** Jessome remembered as great storyteller - Longtime newsman died Monday at 88 SYDNEY - A longtime newsman is being remembered for his talent and his love of storytelling. Bill Jessome, a pioneer in television news and broadcast journalism, died Monday night in Halifax at age 88. "He spoke to people at all levels and ages," said former colleague Greg Boone, who worked with Jessome at CJCB television in the 1980s. "He made it interesting because he had this particular air or approach of making a story sound like you were hearing it across a kitchen table, or hearing it from somebody over the fence, or around the street corner." An early career highlight for Bill Jessome was this interview with American actress Lauren Bacall in 1953 during his time working as a journalist in Boston. Born in Sydney in 1925, Jessome grew up in Whitney Pier, a multicultural community he remained strongly connected to throughout his life. He was also a veteran of the Second World War, serving overseas in the Italian campaign as an 18-year-old. After returning home, he met and married his wife Rose, and together they moved to the United States where Jessome began his television career as an actor. During this time, he appeared on American television shows "Route 66," "Rawhide" and "Gunsmoke." He diverted into the news business in the 1950s, snagging an interview with American actress and model Lauren Bacall - an early career highlight. He eventually moved back to Cape Breton to anchor an evening newscast at CJCB television, which eventually became part of ATV, then CTV. With the launch of the larger networks, Jessome was given a regional format that provided him a larger platform and a larger audience. He continued on with the network in Halifax where he shared news and feature stories, including his popular Maritime Mysteries feature series. He was also the longtime host of the Cape Breton broadcast of the CTV "Christmas Daddies Telethon," which helps underprivileged children in the Maritimes. CBC News reporter Phonse Jessome said his uncle inspired him to become a newsman and was a constant inspiration in his day-to-day work. "I watched his work and how he approached a story and that amazing gift he had for telling a complex story in a simple way and finding the humanity in any story," said Phonse. "I work every day to try to emulate that style and that approach to news gathering because I learned that from Bill and I know it to be the best way to report. " Jessome said his uncle was not only a great storyteller, but a pioneer in the industry, starting a news broadcast when there really was no television news. Earlier this year, Jessome was recognized with a lifetime achievement award from the Radio Television Digital News Directors Association of the Electronic Journalists of Canada. Prior to his death, Jessome was working on a memoir, which his nephew says is close to completion. "Bill was a writer first and foremost," said Phonse. "He always had a notebook in his hand, always taking notes. ... At the computer by five in the morning for a couple of hours writing before breakfast. Bill always loved the story more than anything, and he just had that gift to broadcast a story well, so that's where he found his home was in broadcast." Jessome was predeceased by his wife Rose and stepson Richard. Visitation will be held at T.W. Curry Parkview Chapel on Friday from 2-4 p.m. and from 7-9 p.m. A funeral mass will be celebrated at Holy Redeemer Church on Victoria Road, Whitney Pier on Saturday at 11 a.m. A reception will follow in the church basement.