JOHN CLARKE CANNARD

JOHN CLARKE CANNARD July 30, 1956 – December 21, 2023 It is with great sadness we announce the passing of John Clarke Cannard after a courageous battle with cancer. He passed away peacefully at the Maison McCulloch Hospice on December 21, 2023 with his wife at his side. He is predeceased by his parents Glen and Margaret “Jean” Cannard of Manitoulin Island. He is survived by the love of his life, wife Melanie Hinton, and his beautiful daughters Jennavieve Hinton-Cannard and Abbie Hinton-Cannard whom he often referred to as his greatest gifts. Even in his last days he expressed his love to them and that they were to study hard, attain the goals they set for themselves and most importantly, be happy. He is also survived by his sister Glena Roy (Mike Easton) and his brothers Tom (Angie) and Blaine (Donelda) as well as many adored nieces and nephews. The Manitoulin Sugar Bush gatherings hold special meaning and his presence and contagious laughter will be missed. He will also be missed dearly by Melanie’s family; father-in-law Richard, brother and sister in-law Shawn and Lise and extended family members. John was always the life of the party, his custom-made trivia games, pool tournaments and special dance moves will be missed. John lived life to the fullest, he travelled the world extensively and even tried his hand at living in a Buddhist monastery for a month where he was not permitted to speak. He and Melanie owned several sailboats over the years and could be found exploring the North Channel most weekends. Many family memories were created on those boats that will be cherished forever. Throughout his life he enjoyed many outdoor sports: whitewater kayaking, rock climbing, canoeing, mountain biking. In recent years he and Melanie hiked and cycled countless routes in Ontario and Quebec. John was a dedicated and principled civil/environmental engineer who worked for JLRichards & Associates for many years. He loved to mentor new engineers and took pride in his place of work. His JLR family showed him compassion, friendship and love during his illness. Regular visits, encouraging cards, homemade soup, meals, flowers, gift baskets and daily text messages meant the world to him and to us. We would like to say a special thank you to all the health care professionals whom helped navigate through his difficult medical journey. The Cancer Center, HSN 4-North, Home and Community Care, Bayshore, Dr. Nathalie Roy, Dr. Emack, Dr. Pearce, Dr. Singh, Dr. Falk and nurse Jackie, to name a few. As per John’s wishes his ashes will be buried in the family plot at the Elm View Cemetery in Sheguiandah with some sprinkled at the Sugar Bush which will be followed by a gathering at the Sheguiandah Seniors’ Hall in the spring. In lieu of flowers, donations to either the Maison McCulloch Hospice or the Cancer Foundation would be appreciated.