JOHN (JACK) THOMAS BRISCOE

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JOHN (JACK) THOMAS BRISCOE 1919 - 2017 After a long and wonderful life, John (Jack) Thomas Briscoe, aged 98 years, of Winnipeg, passed away, with family at his side, on Saturday, December 30, 2017 at Deer Lodge Centre. Jack is survived by sons Don (Sandy) and Darrell (Winn); daughter-in-law Karen; sister-in-law Gladys Cheasley; his siblings Bernice, Allan, Cecelia and Maureen; seven grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews. Jack was predeceased by his loving and devoted wife Mary in 2007; his eldest son Cameron in 2011; and seven siblings. Jack was born in Lancaster, Lancashire, England in 1919, the eldest of 12 children of John and Elizabeth Briscoe. He spent his early years in the St. Vital community. As a young man, Jack enjoyed baseball, golf and curling. After serving in the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War, Jack found employment in 1946 with Eaton's of Canada (in the old Mail Order and then Polo Park Store), where he met Mary Petrie, and worked tirelessly for 38 years until his retirement in 1984. In 1950, Jack and Mary were married in Winnipeg. They resided in the Fort Rouge community, devoting their time and energy to raising three sons. During this time, sports continued to occupy much of Jack's time, coaching Little League baseball, and watching his sons' baseball games or other sports. Jack also devoted many hours to woodworking projects of all kinds, given his adept skill and attention to detail. Jack was thrilled to be a grandfather and great-grandfather, and he was always eager to hear news of the lives and accomplishments of his family. Retirement was spent with watching sports (particularly Major League Baseball), attending family and holiday dinners, maintaining the gift of his health and well-being, and assisting and/or visiting family. In his later retirement years, after Mary's passing, Jack displayed amazing resilience, pride in his independence, perseverance in the face of various challenges, and ongoing attention to detail. When assistive care was necessary, Jack looked forward to and appreciated the visits from companions, and their assistance in keeping him mobile, particularly walking on his own two feet until recent days! While Jack was a man of few words, he touched his closest family members deeply. We are all grateful for his presence in our lives. The family expresses its heartfelt thanks to each of the companions (particularly Jesusan and Maria) for their tireless and dedicated efforts that meant so much to Jack's enjoyment of each day since 2015. A big thank you also goes to the volunteers of the Royal Canadian Legion who regularly visited Dad as part of the Outreach and Visitation initiative. A celebration of Jack's life will be held on Sunday, January 7, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. at Chapel Lawn Memorial Gardens & Funeral Home, 4000 Portage Avenue. Interment will take place at Chapel Lawn at a later date. In lieu of flowers, kindly consider a donation to: your local branch of the Royal Canadian Legion or a charity of your choice. For those who wish to sign the online Guest Book please visit www.chapellawn.ca Chapel Lawn Funeral Home 204-885-9715

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jan 03, 2018