Obituary of John Anthony Pickwell

John Anthony Pickwell of Dykeland Lodge, Windsor, passed away February 1, 2016. Born February 10, 1926 in Lincoln, England, he was a son of the late Charles Henry and Alice Louise (Scholes) Pickwell. At the age of five his family moved to Oxford where he went to school. He belonged to Cubs and later to the 12th Oxford Sea Scouts, then later to the Air Cadets. In 1943, at the age of 17, he joined the Royal Navy as a gunnery radar operator aboard H.M.S. Volage, 26th Destroyer Flotilla. Serving in the North Atlantic, then in the South East Asia Command (Burma), H.M.S. Volage was badly damaged by enemy gun fire at a place called Stuart Sound. Repairs were done in Durban, South Africa and then it returned to take the surrender of the Japanese at Penang. Then onto Calcutta for the race riots. The ship then returned to England. After the war, in 1956 John came to Canada with his late wife, Joyce and two children. He worked for Sears as an Automotive Manager in Saint John, New Brunswick. He also served in the Canadian Reserve Army, Royal New Brunswick Regiment, for about ten years as a Sergeant Instructor. After moving to Nova Scotia, he and his late wife joined the Kings Scots Pipe Band. John worked for Archibald Farms for over twenty years. He was Charter Secretary of the Canning Lion's Club. He later served as Zone Chairman. He was president of the Cornwallis High School Parent Teacher's Association for one term. After his second marriage he moved to New Minas. He retired in 1988 and continued his studies into ferns and mosses. He was a long-time member of the Blomidon Naturalists Society. He also did solo piping at parades, weddings and banquets. He was predeceased by his first wife, Joyce, son Gale John Patrick of Barrs Head, Alberta and one brother, Rev. Dr.Lionel David Pickwell of Bradford, England. He is survived by his wife, Wava Bernice (Jodrey) Pickwell; daughter, Vivien Carol Joyce Pickwell-Fraser of New Ross and five grandchildren. Arrangements have been entrusted to DeMont Family Funeral Home & Cremation Service, 419 Albert St., PO Box 981, Windsor, NS B0N 2T0 (902-798-8317). There will be no service by family request. A private family burial will be held in Elm Grove Cemetery, Steam Mill. Donations in memory of John may be made to Canadian Cancer Society, 5826 South St., Halifax, NS B3H 1S6. Messages of condolence may be sent to the family by visiting: www.demontfamilyfuneralhome.ca