Johnny Weir had the honour of sending the last morse code message

at the Coast Guard College in Point Edward, Nova Scotia on July 28, 1998.

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.

Source: The Cape Breton Post, December 11th, 2013

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