Obituary of Colonel John Stanley Fife, MSM

It is with profound sadness that we announce the sudden passing of Colonel (Ret'd) John Stanley Fife, MSM, CD of Oromocto, New Brunswick on 28 December, 2021. John is survived by his loving wife of 31 years, Darlene (née Atherton); daughter, Michelle (Noah); son, Phillip (Hunter); mother, Karen; brother, Hilton "Angus"(Joan); sister, Karen(Dan); lifelong friends, Clarence Griffin, Leo Snook, and countless others. He is predeceased by his father Hilton Leroy Fife. John was born into a military family in Iserlohn, Germany and grew up in the PMQ patch in Oromocto before graduating from Oromocto High School and later from the University of New Brunswick. He later completed a Master in Defence Studies at RMC. He enlisted in the Canadian Forces on 19 December, 1988 beginning a fabulous military career of 26 years of loyal and dedicated service. The highlight of his career was having the privilege of serving as the Commanding Officer of the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment in Oromocto, New Brunswick, his hometown. Loved by the soldiers and officers alike, he was known for his integrity, compassion and respect for others. He distinguished himself as a leader, commanding at every rank level on numerous tours of duty to the United Kingdom, Cyprus, Bosnia, Sierra Leone and Afghanistan. After retirement, John worked for the Province of NB, Public Safety Department prior to taking on a role with Calian Group at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown as the Site Manager, bringing his wealth of military experience to provide realistic exercise and training scenarios to young soldiers undergoing training. Always wanting to give back to his community, he ran as a Liberal candidate for the riding of Oromocto, Lincoln and Fredericton in the 24 September, 2018 Provincial election, narrowly being edged out by his Conservative opponent. John performed extensive volunteer work in the community with Oromocto Minor Hockey, Pioneer Days, The United Way (Forever Fund), Fergusson Foundations, Corps of Commissionaires, Gage Golf Course and the Royal Canadian Regiment. He was known throughout the community as part owner of the Base Theatre, a business he has owned and operated with his partners for over 24 years. John had recently taken on a job as the Chief Administrative Officer with the Town of Oromocto. John often expressed how much he enjoyed working for the Town. He looked forward to the many challenges and was confident he could make a very positive impact on the future of Oromocto and surrounding area. He always spoke very highly of the Oromocto staff. John was a fierce competitor on the ice and on the golf course. While no one could accuse him of being sneaky long on the course, he was a wily competitor with a great sense of humour and an innate ability to trash talk and grind down his opponents for a hard fought victory. A life-long Toronto Maple Leafs fan, he was in his glory seeing his beloved team at the top of the standings. John will be missed by all those who knew him. A funeral service will take place at 1:00pm on Wednesday, January 5th, 2022 at the Oromocto Funeral Home by private invite only. Due to current provincial regulations, proof of vaccination and government issued identification will be required for entry to the service. A public service will take place at a later date when COVID restrictions allow for larger gatherings. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation.