Obituary of John Devitt
After a courageous four month battle to recover from Covid, John Leslie Devitt passed away peacefully with his loving family at his side on Oct 11, 2023. Loving husband of Carol Devitt for 58 years and beloved father to Jeffrey and Gregory. Survived by his adoring sisters, Jean Seguire, Marion Amy and special relation Juanita Day, predeceased by his brother, Kenneth.
Born at Ross Memorial Hospital and raised in Bobcaygeon, John started working for General Motors as a young man in Oshawa. He worked his way up to through the ranks and spent 9 years as a District Sales Manager in Southern Alberta. John was respected by his dealers and took great pride in the relationships he formed with them, including those critical Wednesday afternoon business meetings he would conduct on the golf course.
John was a natural athlete who excelled at many sports. He was a gifted hockey player who played from a young age right through to his many adventures with his Oldtimers hockey teams in both Oshawa and Lethbridge. After he hung up the blades, Dad’s next passion was running, and he was very proud of completing two marathons. In his retirement years, he developed a passion for Slo Pitch and spent 23 years on the diamond making many great friends along the way. He was very proud to participate in the Canadian Senior Games held in Cape Breton.
After 39 years with GM, John retired, and he and Carol became snowbirds. They spent 19 fun filled years at Lakeshore, Florida and looked forward to returning every January. Many special friendships were formed playing cards and on the ball diamond. Their support meant so much during this difficult time.
Family was very important to John, and he developed special relationships with his nephews and nieces. From the family gatherings at Christmas to birthdays and other celebrations, John loved being an important part of their lives and was everybody’s favourite uncle. John and Carol had a special bond with her sister Pat and her husband Doug that included 25 years of cottage co-ownership. He and Doug spent many days playing golf at Stoco and evenings playing euchre.
In lieu of flowers, those wishing to make a donation in John’s memory are asked to consider Kedron United Church or the United Way.
Visitation will be held at DeStefano Funeral Home in Oshawa on Monday Oct 16 from 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM. A funeral service will be held in the Chapel on Tuesday Oct 17 at 1:00 PM.
In Loving Memory
John Devitt
1942 - 2023
