Obituary of Alderman Lawlor Thompson Jennings

It is with deep regret that the family of Alderman (Al) Jennings announce his passing peacefully on Sunday, August 4th, 2019 at Hospice House in Fredericton, NB surrounded by his family after a courageous battle with cancer. Al was born in Mitchell’s Bay, Nova Scotia on November 5th, 1932, along with his twin brother Edison, to Mabel (Jewer) Jennings. Al had a penchant for sports right from his early youth, playing pond hockey in the winter and softball in the summer in and around the Halifax area. At the age of 18, Al enlisted in the Canadian Armed Forces and after completing his basic training in Montreal, he was deployed to Korea to serve in the Korea War with the Royal Canadian Ordinance Corp (later Logistics). After returning from Korea, Al was posted to CFB Halifax where he met the love of his life Dorothy Marie Keizer; they were married in May of 1955. In 1964, after the birth of his first son, Paul, Al was posted to Egypt for one year to work with a U.N. Emergency Force tour of duty. Al returned in 1965 to be posted to CFB Gagetown, which would come to be home for his family. Al spent the next 17 years with Base Supply and retired from the military in 1982 with 32 years of service. Al couldn’t stay retired long, though, and ended up working again for Base Supply in 1984, this time as a civilian employee full time, finally fully retiring in 2016 at the age of 84. Al continued his athletic sporting life in hockey, softball, golf, bowling and darts (sometimes to Dorothy’s exasperation!) but he still found time to help raise two boys (Ritchie was born in 1965) and involve them in sports as well. In the late ‘60’s and early ‘70’s, as his playing career wound down, Al turned to coaching youth sport. He proved to be an apt and able coach, successfully guiding the Oromocto Juvenile Rep Hockey team to Provincial titles and, along with the help of his best friend Jim McInnis, coached the Oromocto Juvenile and later Junior Legionnaires to Provincial and Maritime titles as well as appearances at the Canadian Nationals in the early to late ‘70’s. Many of those players, along with Al, went on to compete successfully at the Senior Fast Pitch level in Fredericton, winning Provincial titles and representing NB well at the National level. Al was inducted to the Oromocto Sports Wall of Fame as a coach in 2001 and again in 2010 as part of the Legionaries team. He was also honoured in 2000, being inducted into the NB Softball Hall of Fame as a coach. Al met many people in his military career and sporting life and never forgot a face. His family believed you could drop him into the middle of China and he would find somebody who knew him. Al had a full life doing what he loved to do and raising his family. He was proud of us and we were equally proud of him. We will miss him greatly but he will always be a part of us. Rest well dad, we love you always. Al is survived by his loving wife Dorothy; his two sons Paul from Cambridge ON, and Ritchie (Christina) from Oromocto, NB; and his fraternal twin brother Edison (Nancy) from Lower Sackville, NS. Al was predeceased by his mother Mabel (Jewer) Jennings, his infant daughter (at birth) Katherine Marie Jennings and his brother James Jennings. The family would like to thank all the nurses and staff of the Palliative Care Ward at the Oromocto Public Hospital as well as Dr. Sainz and all the staff of Hospice House in Fredericton. Dad couldn’t have been treated any better than the care you provided him and we are very grateful to you all. God bless you for what you do every day. In lieu of flowers, for those who wish the family would appreciate donations to Hospice House of Fredericton. A graveside service will take place on Saturday, August 10th at 11:00 am at the Oromocto Pioneer Gardens. The Royal Canadian Legion Branch #93 will hold a tribute service beginning at 10:45 am.