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John McCoombs
January 12, 1944 - May 2, 2014
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<div itemprop="description">McCOOMBS, John Alexander (Sr.) &ndash; It is with sadness that we announce the death of John McCoombs on Friday, May 2, 2014, at the age of 70, after a long battle with heart disease and other health issues which started with a heart attack in 1982 at age 38. Born in Halifax to Jenny Wambolt (nee Colbert) and the late James McCoombs, John is survived by Elizabeth (&ldquo;Liz&rdquo;), his wife of nearly 50 years (they married on September 11, 1964); daughter and son-in-law, Christine and Christian Albrecht, of Three Fathom Harbour; son and his spouse, John McCoombs (Jr.) and Valerie McDow, of Dartmouth; grandsons Matthew and Jordan Albrecht; step-granddaughters Leslie McDow and Amanda McDow Negus; one sister, Nancy (Bob) Lively of Dartmouth, several aunts, nieces, nephews, and numerous cousins. Besides his father, John was predeceased by his dearly-loved mother-in-law, Martha Sutherland, a brother, George, and a granddaughter Alexis Albrecht (stillborn). John was a Dartmouth cabbie for many years until his retirement for health reasons in the spring of 2006. Many Woodside residents will remember him from his days with Din&rsquo;s Taxi and later, with Woodside Cab. <br /> <br />John had a very special bond with both of his grandsons, Matthew because he was the first-born grandchild, and Jordan because he shared his grandfather&rsquo;s passion for sports of all kinds. <br /> <br />John was a lifelong sports enthusiast, and in his early years, he played baseball, football and golf. When talking about his &ldquo;glory days&rdquo;, he fondly recalled the fact that he returned the first-ever kickoff as Captain of Prince Andrew High School&rsquo;s first football team, and that in 1963 his junior baseball team was one of the first Dartmouth teams to win the Maritime Junior Baseball Championship. <br /> <br />An accomplished master of cue sports, John was at one time ranked among the top four snooker players in Canada, and he competed at the Canadian Snooker Championships in Ottawa on two occasions. He was a former Nova Scotia Snooker Champion as well as a Provincial 8-Ball Champion. Until ill health forced him to retire, John was a member of Metro Pool League and he held various executive positions in that league, including the office of President for a number of years. Many will remember him as the captain of the Burnside Snooker Club 8-ball team, which won many Metro Pool League championships. John&rsquo;s dedication to his team is evidenced by the fact that he once played 18-1/2 consecutive seasons with perfect attendance. <br /> <br />John took great delight in the accomplishments of his children and in later years, his grandchildren. He spent many an hour at the baseball field, the bowling alley and the basketball court, cheering on both his son and his grandsons as they competed in these various sports. <br /> <br />Apart from his interest in playing pool and following the activities of his family members, John&rsquo;s pastimes included travelling with Liz and he liked nothing better than to be behind the wheel on their way to places familiar or unknown. They also attended Halifax Mooseheads hockey games as long-time season ticket holders. In addition, he thoroughly enjoyed an afternoon or evening playing cards or board games with the family. <br /> <br />The family wishes to thank the nurses, doctors, and other staff members of both the Dartmouth General Hospital and the Geriatric Restorative Care Unit at the Veterans Memorial Building for their care and compassion over the past number of months during John&rsquo;s several hospitalizations. Particular thanks to those medical professionals working at the Emergency Department and on 3 East at the Dartmouth General Hospital. <br /> <br />The family will hold a celebration of John&rsquo;s life on Wednesday, May 7, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., at Atlantic Funeral Home, 771 Main Street, Dartmouth. Memorial donations may be made to the Dartmouth General Hospital Foundation, the Heart &amp; Stroke Foundation or the Canadian Diabetes Society, or to any charity of your choice. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /></div>