About John (Jack) Gillis

Good afternoon everyone and thank you for coming. My name is Michael Gillis, Jack’s brother. Ida and family have asked me to say a few words before we begin the funeral mass. It is indeed my honour to share with all of you my thoughts about Jack and his life among us. I have to admit, when I was first approached to so this, I was somewhat taken aback, especially when they said it should be just 3 to 5 minute. How do you summarize all that Jack was in so short a time? However, as I thought about Jack’s life and as I talked to Ida and his children that day, I quickly decided on the topic on which I should focus; Jack’s love. First and foremost, his love for Ida, his wife of 39 years. It was at St F X where a young lab instructor caught the attention of a young nursing student and apparently the chemistry was not restricted to the text books. They wed in 1975 and soon after began a family. Together, Jack and Ida raised eight children, Melissa, Keith, Aimee, Sarah, John, Christopher, Nathan and Kevin; affectionately known in the Gillis family as the ‘Musquodoboit mob’. I know how much he loved and cherished them and was so proud of the accomplished, successful, independent young adults they have become. Although I’m sure he would take some credit for that, as he famously told his parent when he was just a teenage (to win an argument no doubt), “it’s either hereditary or environment, and parents are responsible for both.” Jack’s love for his family extended to providing them with a suitable place to live, unfortunately it took him about three years longer than planned to complete, but the result was a beautiful home here in Middle Musquodoboit; the house that Jack built. We use to say, while helping Jack build his house, “it’s not the Taj Mahal” whenever he was fretting about a measurement being off by a sixteenth or thirty-second of an inch; but in a way it was Jack’s Taj, not built in memory of a loved one but built for the family he loved so much. Inevitably Jack and Ida became ‘empty nesters’ and as Jack’s work took him to ever more exotic locales, he and Ida were inseparable; husband and wife, best friends, soul mates. In recent years he took great joy in being a proud granddad to Sofia, Siena, Mariano, Gabriel and Elsie. His love for his grandchildren was clearly evident in the smiling faces posted on facebook following his visits. Jack too came from a large family and I know that he loved each of us despite the fact that we did not always agree on various topics. Jack was a man with strong opinions and he was not shy about sharing them. But in the end his love for us always transcended our differences. While Jack’s first priority was his family, he was one of those rare individuals who are able to provide for their family by doing something he loved. John, as he was known by his colleagues, worked as an engineer in the oil and gas industry his entire career. John was known for his professionalism, the quality of his work and his attention to detail; all of which earned him the respect of his peers, the esteem of his employers and extraordinary success in his chosen career. No reflection on Jack’s life would be complete without mention of his love of life, his ever present smile and his one-of-a-kind laugh. As long as I live, I will never forget that laugh and that smiling face. Jack lived in the present. He enjoyed what life had to offer; good food, good friends, good times. Never one to sit idle, he and Ida travelled the world, often visiting and staying with the many friends they made over the years. Jack was a man of strong conviction and an unwavering believer in the Catholic faith. His love of God was unquestionable and this was reflected in his love for all; for God is love. Jack’s was not a demonstrable kind of love, for that is not the way we were raised, but a kind of love that is quiet but deeply rooted, strong and ever present. Jack’s death was tragic for he was taken far too suddenly, when he was far too young, when he had just started to enjoy his retirement that he had worked so hard for and when he had so much more love to give. Jack’s death has reinforced what he always said “life is not fair”. He’s proven his point. No, life is not fair. But while it may not be fair, life is precious; cherish it, live it, love one another. May all of our lives be judged not by their longevity but by their quality; not by how much money we have but by how we spend our time; not by whom we love but by the love we share. Love one another, unconditionally, for that is the purest form of love. Jack, you were a loving husband, father, granddad, son, brother, uncle and friend. You will be greatly missed and always loved. Until we see each other again, rest peacefully.