Blades, Alvin Henry – of Middle Musquodoboit, passed away peacefully on May 4, 2024, at the age of 90.
Alvin was one of 16 children born to the late Roy and Alice Blades and the first in his family to go to university. He graduated from McGill's Macdonald College in Montreal, the city where he met his beloved wife of 58 years, the late Doreen (Barre) Blades. Their life together took them to Ontario for four years where he worked for the provincial government introducing young farmers to modern agricultural practices, before returning to the Musquodoboit Valley where they remained. In Nova Scotia, he worked as a salesman for Cockshutt Tractors and the Nova Scotia Power Commission before retraining for what he was always meant to be, a school teacher, a job he loved and retired from more than 30 years ago. Alvin was an active community volunteer throughout his life, as an elder at St. Andrew's United Church, as a leader with the Elderbank 4-H club, and as a founding member of the Musquodoboit Valley Lions Club. He served as a District Governor of Lions International in 1996-1997 and was an active member of the club until his death. In more recent years he also served as a board member of the Moose River Gold Mine Museum.
Al firmly believed in the power of travel. He proudly proclaimed there wasn't a road in Nova Scotia he hadn't been on. We grew up in the car, with a tent, our sleeping bags and a Coleman stove in the back. This family tradition culminated in 1976 in an epic two-month camping trip from Elderbank to Victoria, BC and back. As a teacher and a Lion, he and Mom chaperoned teenagers from the valley on exchange trips and youth camps in Saskatchewan, Newfoundland, Maine and New Brunswick.
He loved flowers, fish and his family, and not in that order. Leaving to mourn, Al and Doreen’s children, Ted (Kathryn), Margaret (Darren), Judy (Rob); grandchildren, Griffin, Winter, Ryan (Leanza), Jayme (Kayla), Jesse (Mackie), Lacey (Devon), Darcey (Jessica) and Anthony (Carolyn); and great-grandchildren, Blayze, Ronan, Bianca, Jordyn, Adelynn, Everett, Anna, Hunter, Riley and Tripp. Grieving as well, his remaining siblings, Carl, Keith, Kathryn, David and Norma, dozens of nieces, nephews and other relatives, and countless friends made over the years.
Our heartfelt thanks to his caregivers, Donna, Sam, Valerie and Crystal, for enabling Alvin to stay in his home as long as he could, and to Dr. Karen Day and the staff at Musquodoboit Valley Memorial Hospital for their care in his final days.
A Service of Remembrance will take place at St. Andrew's United Church, Elderbank, on Thursday, May 9th at 2:00 p.m., with a reception to follow in the church basement.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Musquodoboit Valley Lion's Club, c/o 4035 Highway 357
Meaghers Grant, NS B0N 1V0 to carry on the community work that was so important to him.
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