Dr. John Laurence Veale
elevated qxr4J February 15, 1944 ~ March 20, 2021
elevated qxr4J Obituary
elevated qxr4J It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Dr. John Laurence Veale, on Saturday, March 20th, 2021 at 6:30pm due to heart issues. He had many friends from around the world that shared in his love for the outdoors and travel. We know that we have not met all of you, but we also know that you brought him joy and happiness, and for that we thank you.
elevated qxr4J John was born in Cavan, Ireland on February 15th, 1944 from his father Michael Veale of Waterford City, Ireland and his mother Kathleen Kiely of Stradbally, County Waterford, Ireland. He is survived by his brother Michael and sister Anne, his three children Tony, Jennifer and Joe, his spouse Ermy and 7 grandchildren Amelia, Cameron, William, Elise, Joel, Molly and Owen. John attended medical school at University College Dublin, graduated with honours in 1968, received his fellowship in Pediatrics in 1973, and dedicated the rest of his life to the health and well being of children in Canada. He was Chief of Pediatrics at the Laurentian Hospital and the President of the Sudbury District Medical Society. He spent decades serving the Durham community outside of Toronto at both the local hospitals and a clinic. He had retired from medicine only a few months ago.
elevated qxr4J John, affectionately known to us as “Junior”, had an incredible life. He travelled the world and saw and experienced so much. He had been to South America to see the glaciers, he had kayaked with whales, hiked through the desert in Arizona, and camped throughout Africa. He ran marathons, biked all over the United States and canoed many river systems in Northern Canada. He enjoyed his winters in the snow with cross country and downhill skiing. He had a love for dogs, he always had one close by and cared for them over the years.
elevated qxr4J John raised us on a hobby farm, outside of a little town called Claremont in Ontario, Canada. He purchased it back in 1984 and called it home for 37 years. He spent his last night at the farm with Jen, Joe, and Tony. We can all take comfort in knowing that is what he would have wanted, to be at the farm with his kids. During his last days in the hospital, we were with him and told him not to worry, that we were all ok and for him to just relax.
elevated qxr4J We, like all of you reading this, will miss John greatly. Dad, we will always remember your kind words, hard work and the love and unwavering support you gave to our family.
elevated qxr4J We love you Dad.
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elevated qxr4J The family graciously appreciates memorial donations made to the Humane Society of Durham Region
elevated qxr4J Donations will provide food and care for our animals.
John was part of the Irish group consisting of Billy Munnelly, Michael Kelly et al including my late husband Derek Lowry (and a Protestant from Belfast!) I so enjoyed the times I spent with John. He will definitely be missed by all who were fortunate to know him. My deepest sympathy. Risa
So sorry for your loss. The Rogerses send all of our love during this difficult time.
I remember fondly when he came to work with my Dad Roy Gerard MD. In Saginaw Michigan. He was loved by all with his great smile and wit. I am also very proud to say he was my boyfriend years ago..We only reconnected 2 years ago. My entire family adored hime especially my Mother Pasty Beckett. Boy was she angry when I broke it off but I was young and immature. I feel extremely blessed to have known and loved him!
My condolences to the family during these difficult times.
Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there. I did not die.
Mary Elizabeth Frye
R.I.P.
Sadly shocked that my friend of 34 years, has passed away.
Our outdoor adventures, often spontaneous, ranged to hiking the Adirondacks,
winter camping and XC skiing in Algonquin, paddling the French River or walking the dunes of the Sandbanks. We biked to Niagara Falls and spent many weekends trekking the Durham Forest near his farm in Claremont with good food and drink to finish the day Once when lost on an adjacent trail on Big Slide in the Adirondacks with my 10 year old son and daylight fading John appeared through the underbrush like an Irish saint to guide us back to a ranger station and a safe overnight to tend to my torn cartridge. He saved us from an overnight on a cold mountain. A great friend who always had a concern for others.
Like his many friends, some I have met on hikes or over dinner, I will miss him and only wish I had spent more time with John. To Molly and Pam especially,we have lost a wonderful companion and I deeply appreciate all the people he has brought together in a life cut short. With deepest sympathy to his family,
Ben
Very well put dad:) I had not seen john in many years but his personality will last a lifetime. He had great spirit of life we will soon not forget and be sure to honour.
May John rest on peace from a Castleknock College, year of 62
Just have say what a fine character Junior was.
We envied him so much on his adventures.
His smile was contagious.
He will be so missed by family and friends.
We survived Pre Med and Med School together. We interned in Saginaw and it was clear his love of children was evident and that determined his career path. He was an exceptional physician a delight to spend time with him. A huge loss. RIP
Patrick and Sheila Canning send their condolences to Ermie and the children. So many good times. He will always be remembered and truly missed. RIP.
We knew Johnny well in medical school and we interned together in Michigan. Even though we have not seen him in many years we still talk about him. “Black is Black” always reminds me of Johnny’s hilarious rendition. We wish to extend our deepest sympathy to Ermy and the children. Tom and Minda OCallaghan
My deepest sympathy. As a shy kid, I always appreciated John’s enthusiastic greetings and easy rapport (he was a family friend). When I was 17 or so, John gave me – out of the blue – two classic albums that I still enjoy today (LA Woman, Rust Never Sleeps). I last met John while hiking in the Adirondacks with my wife and my father. He had a wonderful zest for life and incomparable charm. I’m glad to have known him and am sad there’s no possibility of future rambles.
So sad to hear. John was a big part of our Irish gang in TO in the 70s and 80s, and we remained friends ever since. So many great memories of golfing, skiing and general good ‘craic’.
Sympathies to the family and Ermy.
Always there for my family when he was in Sudbury and is affectionately remembered by the Morrows.
R.I.P.
The the worth of a man is determined by the quality of the people he’s surrounded by, and by his family’s love, then John Veale was a treasure. We offer our sincere condolences to his family. Much love to the Veales.
Back in Toronto in the early 70’s we knew him as Johnny. What a lovely man he was and what fun. Unfortunately, I lost touch when I moved to Australia but I will always remember Johnny’s smile and wonderful sense of humour. So sad!
John, I was so fortunate to have you bring so much joy and life to my family in Virginia Beach Va USA. You will be missed by us all including my friends you met and made here. The memories are endless and I cannot wait to some day soon I hope share them with your family. You went through life with grace, style kindness, love and left this world a better place. Until we meet again May God hold in the palm of his hand.
Marianne
My condolences to Ermy and the family. John gave us some great memories and for that I am thankful. We lost touch in the last 5 years and that is something I regret .
Sorry to hear about the recent passing of your father.
Please accept our deepest sympathies,
Anne Marie & Stan Czeban.
I am so sad to hear of Johnny’s death. My deepest condolences to all his family members on the loss of such an exceptional man, but what incredible memories you are left with,which given time, you will be able to enjoy together.
I knew Johnny on a social basis when he lived in Sudbury but unlike many of his sudbury friends I never accompanied him on any of his frequent hiking trips. He did , however, accompany me on two sailing trips to the Caribbean. It was impossible not to have fun when you were with him.
He certainly had a quirky sense of humor at times. My two sons,Patrick and Michael spent a good deal of time in Johnny and Ermy’s house because it. was a fun place. Patrick assured me that one year John kept his Christmas tree up the whole year.
Apart from being a loved and respected pediatrician, he was, as mentioned president of the local medical association. His many friends who were present at a New Year’s Eve party will remember Johnny’s great idea for livening up the party.
Amongst his family he might have been known as “Junior” but in sudbury he was known as”Johnny the Fog”. One evening my wife and I arranged a pool party at our house. The mosquitoes were vicious. Johnny disappeared, and soon returned with a machine which exhaled huge clouds of foggy smoke. Hense the name.
My last meeting with Johnny was purely by chance and good luck about 18 months ago I went to Toronto to attend a concert of a famous Irish group, The Chieftains. I went into a pub before the concert and was seated right next to him at the bar. I was delighted.
John is going to be missed terribly , especially by his family but he will NEVER be forgotten by everybody who new him.
I was very surprised to hear of Johnny’s passing even though he had more than used up his nine lives. I have known him for more than fifty years and shared many adventures with him canoeing, skiing,hiking,sailing,playing rugby etc. He was a larger than life character, a loyal friend, and a caring physician. He will be missed.
My condolences to his family
I was very surprised to hear of Johnny’s passing, despite the fact he had more than used up his nine lives. I have known him for more than fifty years and have shared many adventures with him, canoeing, hiking , skiing, sailing, playing rugby etc. He was a larger than life character, a loyal friend and a very caring physician. He will be missed.
My condolences to his family
Martin Shine
I knew Dr. Veale as “Johnny” many years ago when we worked together in the medical clinic at Superstore. He was very fond and always put my kids first when they were ill, he often came for dinner and at one point I used to clean his house. We lost touch in person but thanks to Facebook we would touch base. It is a very sad loss for many and my family’s thoughts and prayers are extended to everyone he touched over the years. Johnny you will be sadly missed. RIP my dear friend.
John Veale was a first cousin and spent many happy days with the Kielys in Lisfennel on our farm. He really enjoyed riding the horses bareback and got several thrills and spills while doing so. Fun days and memories for sure. Good bye John and rest in peace. Sympathy to Ermie Tony Jenny and Joey also to two very special siblings Michael and Ann Veale
Charming Irishman with many talents, Great company, many accomplishments. Pediatrician, musician, raconteur fluent Gaelic speaker. Gave new meaning to song “I did it my way” Happy Rambling John.
John was my dear friend that I saw almost every day for the last 13 years. We walked miles upon miles of hiking trails as well as skiing and biking There is a hole in my life where he stood because he was the kind of person who believed the best of you and saw the heart you had. He sang funny songs, made up poems as we walked the swampy marsh with a Royal Ontario Museum book looking or Purple Marten or lady slipper orchids only to find a myriads of lost animals on the way. Every day with John was an adventure but more importantly, a blessing. He taught me the greatest lessons of friendship. Loyalty, love and to live life to the fullest moment. He is my once in a lifetime friend and will be sorely missed.
Dear Molly,
I cannot begin to share the pain you must feel losing such a close personal friend. John talked of you often and I understand your profound loss of companionship fostered on so many hikes and bike rides. My sincerest sympafhy. Please stay in touch.
Ben
John was a cherished friend and travel companion. So glad for the adventures we shared, the memories reinforced with many pictures and videos. Condolences to all who loved him…and there are many.
Those we love don’t go away.
They walk beside us very day.
Unseen, unheard, but always near.
Still loved, still missed and very dear.
Saddened to hear of Johnny’s passing; We remember him and the fun we had in the early days of the Seventies and Eighties in Toronto; the days golfing; the ‘Highbourne Open’; the occasional winter ski trips to Mt. St. Louis; and the occasional pub nights, here and there! Great memories; May God be good to him-
Ar dheish laimh De go rabh a anam, uasal dilis;
Eoin & Clare Kennedy, Closter, New Jersey, USA
The Duff family is still shocked and deeply saddened by Johnny’s loss. I have known him for some 40 years and still remember the night we met. He chose to attend for the first time the Sudbury Exiles Rugby Club AGM at the then Northern Brewery. He left as president of the club!
Although our shared Irish upbringing in some sense was the cornerstone of our friendship, there were so many layers to John, all of them funny, positive, rebellious and energetic, that it became automatic to think of him not as John but as “Johnny”. It felt as though that moniker reflected more his innate mischievous nature and the likelihood that if anything to do with the outdoors sounded like a good idea (often with considerable perceived risk associated with it), Johnny was in. For example, he remains the chap with whom I came closest to drowning! We were careening down a set of rapids on the French River with an impossibly full canoe (we thought we’d give it a go). I can still hear him shout instructions from the stern: “paddle on the left, paddle on the right…ah, ah, we’re gone!”
He was the kind of chap that never allowed you to forget that you and he were connected. He once sent Ed van Hees and I to Anne’s, his sister’s place in Galway, Ireland when we were in that part of the world on vacation because, well, “she had tea and sandwiches made for us”. We had never met her before! She was a lovely girl and very gracious hostess.
Whether it was a call from Johnny at XMAS- the chat always started by the usual “Ah Guard, how’s it going? (You have to be Irish to understand that)- or whether it was his being there to offer advice or help of any kind, he was your man. I remember when I was a very young fella, not long arrived in Canada, discussing with him the merits of Canadian citizenship and what, if anything that meant for my sense of “Irishness”; or later where our then infant daughter should get a hernia fixed; or when I should return his station wagon (he had loaned it to me to get back to Timmins from Sudbury for work when I was in a bind with no other way to get back for work in time could be found) or where I myself should seek medical help for whatever ailment or other was bothering me, Johnny was always the knowledgeable empathetic ear.
Now he’s gone, but he’s survived by his wonderful kids. It was so “Johnny” that his son Tony should call me back directly so soon the other day after I left a message at his place of work looking for details about Johnny’s death. I haven’t spoken with Tony in something like 40 years. Others also report having received calls from Joey and the same or Facebook likes from Jennifer.
To those “kids” and grandkids, to Ermy and to Anne and Michael and all of Johnny’s friends, my wife Pearl and I grieve with you at this time.
I first met Johnny in 1956 when we started boarding school at Castleknock College, Dublin. Even back then, Johnny exuded enthusiasm, being outgoing and friendly. He was an “all-rounder” at everything – sports (especially soccer), music and learning – particularly Irish, becoming a fluent Irish speaker. He won the gold medal for Irish in his final year. I lost touch with Johnny after university but a great coincidence happened in the early 70’s when I returned to Toronto from Ireland. I was invited to Billy Munnelly’s party on Sherwood Ave. and who was knocking out vibrant tunes on the piano but Johnny Veale!! I participated with the “Irish gang” golfing, skiing and generally socializing throughout the ’70’s and ’80s and always enjoyed John’s company and camaraderie. I will miss his smile and laugh, his positive and upbeat nature. I regret not seeing him more often in the last few years.
Our deepest sympathy to Ermi and the family from Theresa and I.
Our condolences to the whole Veale Family. You are all in our thoughts.
From your extended family, the Archambeaults – Sylvain, Jen, Dawson and Gabrielle
Uncle John’s smile is always the first thing that comes to mind of when I think of him. He would always appear all of a sudden, sometimes expected, sometimes not, at our family home in Galway, as if he had just popped out to get a newspaper and a pint of milk. I always loved his impromptu visits. John was warm, kind and interesting – qualities that were immediately engaging to a young boy, and he had a natural easiness and ability to engage with children, making him a “fun” uncle. When he visited we would be whizzed away with him through West of Ireland weather to Connemara or the Burren, us children often car sick while John breathed in the fresh air of the Great Irish Outdoors – its mountains, its bogs, its fields and its ugly bungalows built in the middle of nowhere . . . John hated those bungalows. As I grew up I understood what he meant and started to hate them too – on principle of course . . .
As I grew into an adult, I developed greater and greater respect for John’s approach to life: his love of the Great Outdoors; his love of social interaction and conversation; his love of stories, stories to listen to and stories to hear; his love of time spent on his own spent doing things he enjoyed; and his love of travel and seeking out and experiencing new things.
When our paths crossed in Galway when I was an adult we would talk about the best places to visit locally and in the region, about the history of such places, about politics – both local and international, and about living a life that always created the right space for family, friends, work and doing the things we love.
He loved being taken to the best pubs in Galway and absorbing the energy, conversations and movement of that special Irish social space, the indoors splash of colours and sounds that brighten up the lives of those who live under frequently grey skies of the West of Ireland.
I will miss John – his smile, his humour, his easily carried and readily shared intelligence and knowledge, his wandering spirit, and his perpetual curiosity. These qualities I recognised as kindred as they radiated from his person.
I am absolutely sure that John would have smiled heartily to see his son Tony wear sneakers to his Dad’s funeral. John faced the world in which he lived and which he created around him on his own terms, and that spirit of independence was a rare gift as well as I am sure something which required a lot of tolerance and understanding from his own family!
I offer my deepest condolences to Ermy, Tony, Jenny, Joey and all John and Ermy’s grandchildren.
Deepest sympathies from Mike, Kerry, Ella and Rosa in London.
We were shocked to hear of John’s passing. So many fond memories of John, Ermy, and of course Tony, Jenny and Joey (as he was affectionately known here in Sudbury) All the camping trips that our son Steve was fortunate enough to have been a part of with John and Tony and of course his constant companion “Nanook”. When I think of John, I think of adventure, fun, laughs and friend. He lived life to the fullest and has now gone onto a different adventure. He will be truly missed by everyone who was lucky enough to cross his path here on earth. Our thoughts and prayers to Ermy, Tony, Jen and Joe, all the grandchildren and extended family. I would say rest in peace but I can’t imagine “rest” in John’s vocabulary, so instead we wish you a good journey John.
A beautiful service, watched from the room in Dublin, Ireland, in which John’s grandmother, Mary Anne Veale, died in 1936,
by his cousin , Gay, daughter of his uncle Laurence.
May John Rest in Peace.
We are so appreciative of knowing Dr. Veale as a professional and persnally. He Took excellent care of our children over the decades of his practice in Durham. He was exceptionally caring and an awesome friend. His wife and children have become family to us and my children and grand children , all based on his John’s & Ermy’s big hearts.
All our thoughts and love to the Veale family.
So sorry to hear about your Dad. I have many fond memories of him taking us all on skiing and climbing adventures and making us laugh the whole time.
He was a vibrant, energetic and inspiring person. My thoughts are with each of you during this time.
Our sincere condolences on the passing of John, may he rest in peace. We had an Irish bar ” Harp & Thistle” in Ajax over 25 years ago and John came in and introduced himself to my mother , the owner, who happens to be Alice Kiely from Dungarvan, Waterford, Ireland, it is a small world and the Irish are in every corner. John was a nice man who always had a smile.
Today was spent scanning and shredding old charts including from the time Dr J. spent working with us . Time gets away from us and we realized it had been awhile since we had heard from him . So ,we looked him up and found this obit to the day 1 year later . Coincidence or something Irish. We are sorry for your loss and remember him driving all the way from Claremont on a scooter ( way ahead of being carbon neutral ) Hope you are all coping well , Best , Norm , elleke