Obituary of James Roy McDermott

James was born in Saint John on June 9, 1946 and was the son of the late James and Catherine (Bell) McDermott. Jim spent most of his growing up years in Saint John. He and his brother, Mike shared many adventures together. They loved every second of running off and exploring their surroundings together, more often than not, without parental permission. At the age of 15, Jim went on to seek more adventures. Being underage, he needed permission from a person in a position of authority in order to be employed. After gaining the written permission from a Priest, Jim entered the work force. He would work in many different places and areas of labour. His first job was with Simms Brush Factory. A year later, Jim went on to work with the Coast Guard aboard the ship, The Thomas Carleton. He then would go on to work on the Great Lake Tankers for Texaco in Ontario. It was during one of his visits home from Ontario that Jim met, fell in love with and married, Dora Sarah Kyle, on February 14, 1970. With Dora and Barbie, the family settled in Sarnia. It wasn’t long before home sickness and other factors came into play, the family decided to move back to NB. When the family arrived in NB, Jim got on with Guilford Construction and became an insulator. He stayed with this profession for over 35 years at the Irving Oil Refinery in Saint John, retiring from there in 2011. Jim and Dora loved raising their family. He would often take Barbie, Ernie, and Cathy on adventures…just like his growing up years. All three children will always cherish the memories spent with their dad. This loving and adventurous nature would only continue to grow once the grandchildren arrived. Jim cherished his family, especially his beloved wife, Dora. In addition to his family, Jim had many accomplishments in life. Two of his greatest accomplishments were: becoming a Master in the Mason’s Lodge of Sussex. Jim was extremely proud of this accomplishment, and was a cherished, admired and respected member. He also was very proud of his work with his business partner, Dave Stewart, with their music store Backstage Music. Jim worked hard all his life and fought his cancer head on with grit and determination. He “did it his way”. He is now reunited with his family and friends who have gone before. We can only imagine the kitchen parties they are all having in Heaven. James will be loving remembered by his beloved wife, Dora; his daughters: Barb Melligan (Scott Finnamore) of Brantford, ON and Cathy McDermott (Matthew Mallory) of Sussex; his son, Ernie McDermott (Lisa Waring-Burns) of Thompson Rd; his brother, Mike and his wife Debbie of Quispamsis; his half brother, Ralph Wood and his wife Margaret of Riverview; his sisters-in-law: Judi Kyle of Shediac and Sally Kierstead and her husband Gordon of Wards Creek; his brothers-in-law: Rod Kyle and his wife Nowell of Roachville and Jerry Kyle of Sussex; his grandchildren: Krista Kyle, Kyle Stafford, Peter Melligan, Breann Melligan, all of Brantford, Dylan McDermott of Saint John, and Jemma McDermott of Sussex; his great grandsons: Brayden and Landen of Brantford; his aunt Jean Bell of Sussex Corner as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Mr. James "Jim" Roy McDermott of Apohaqui, passed away at the Sussex Health Centre on August 25, 2016 at the age of 70. Arrangements have been entrusted to the compassionate care of Wallace Funeral Home, 34 Sunnyside Drive, Sussex, (506-433-1176), where visitation will be held on Sunday 1-3 & 6-8pm. A Masonic Tribute service will be held from Wallace Funeral Home on Sunday at 5:30pm. A service celebrating James’s life will be held from Wallace Memorial Chapel on Monday, August 29, 2016 at 1:00pm. There will be a time of fellowship and light refreshments with the family following the service at the Masonic Hall, 482 Main St. Sussex. If you are considering making a memorial donation the family has recommended Camp Good Times. If you cannot join us for Jim's service, please copy and paste the link below into your url bar to be directed to watch the service online. https://livestream.com/wallacefuneralhome/events/6253958