George William Lahey

George William Lahey passed away on Wednesday, November 13th in Calgary, Alberta at the age of 76.

Born in 1948 and raised in Main-A-Dieu, Cape Breton, George was one of William and Lucy (Burke) Lahey’s 13 children. He spent his early years working with his father as a lobster and cod fisherman, played hockey for the Main-A-Dieu Rockets as a forward, served as an alter boy, and spent time on the processing line at the Louisbourg fish plant. Although he was surrounded by the ocean, George’s aspirations were to become a pilot, but instead he was guided to consider a career as a police officer. By his early twenties, he—and his soon to be wife Anne Peck—moved west to Winnipeg, Manitoba, where he joined the Winnipeg Police Service.

Although a significant change for both George and Anne, they flourished in Winnipeg and lived there for 25 years, where George worked as a police officer in a variety of different positions. He worked in general patrol, as an acting detective in the Youth Division, and Crime Stoppers where he experienced a moment of celebrity because of his work on television commercials. He was promoted to Sargent and completed his career as supervisor for District 6. George and Anne also welcomed their three children Charlene, Jennifer, and Doyle, which George cherished above everything else because nothing surpassed his love and devotion for his family.

Once George retired, the Lahey family moved to Nova Scotia, settling in the suburb community of Bedford. George found employment with the Provincial Department of Justice, where he worked as a policing consultant, facilitating negotiations between the Provincial and Federal Governments and First Nation communities in Cape Breton. In his free time, George loved to play golf at various courses in Nova Scotia, partake in the annual Lahey tradition of going out for breakfast on Saturday’s, and spend as much time as he could with family and friends. During these family get togethers, he enjoyed sharing stories about loved ones that would normally leave his audience in tears of laughter because of his uncanny ability to capture one’s quirks.

After George and Anne retired for good, they moved to Calgary, Alberta to spend time with their grandchildren, Thomas and Andrew, where George was known more commonly as Gummy. He loved to spend time with “Tom Tom” and “Drewbie”, attending hockey games, spending holiday’s such as Thanksgiving and Christmas and birthdays with them, and making sure they got to school safely by participating in one of George’s favorite activities, driving.

George will be remembered as a charismatic friend, devoted colleague, and loving father and grandfather. And though he is no longer here, his memory will exist forever in everyone who loved him. Goodbye, George.