John Wallace Ellison

Funeral service for the late John Wallace ‘Wally’ Ellison, 81, was held July 30 in St. Margaret’s Parish, West Bay Road, with Father Duncan D. MacIsaac officiating. Burial was in the parish cemetery. Mr. Ellison died July 25, 2018, in Strait Richmond Hospital. Born on October 16, 1936, in Sydney, he was a son of the late Samuel Ellison and Mary Anne (MacIsaac) Ellison. He attended school in Inverness before going to Teachers College. He attended St. Mary’s, Dalhousie and Ottawa universities, furthering his studies majoring in geography and geology. He completed his master’s degree at St F. X. in curriculum development. He was a teacher, consultant, social studies and science coordinator, founder and director of the Scotsville Nature Center. He retired in 1991 from the Strait Area Education Recreation Center after a 30-year career. He enjoyed teaching taking his students on many field and hiking treks. He enjoyed wind surfing and boating on the Bras d’Or. He was an accomplished photographer, and was often called upon to take pictures at weddings and other formal occasions. He enjoyed travelling, especially to the British Isles. He liked camping and hiking into the many waterfalls he loved to explore. His travels and interests led to writing articles for local media and publishing a number of articles and books on the geography of Cape Breton. He gained pleasure in his practice of the Gaelic language and would jump at any opportunity to converse with other Gaelic speakers. He was proud of his Scottish heritage and took in many gatherings and ceilidhs. He was often called upon to play his pipes at many events. He was one of The One Hundred Pipers who marched at the opening of the Canso Causeway in 1955. He enjoyed gardening, raising vegetables and flowers. He is survived by his wife, Phyllis; son, Jamie (Diane); daughter, Marilyn (Gerry); four grandchildren, Jamie, Michael, Kara, Ethan; great-grandchild, Aiden.Ethan; two brothers, Archie, Carl; sister, Eleanor; three step children, Anne Marie (Brian), Gregory (Michelle), Aurel (Laurie). He was predeceased by grandson, Joel. Memorial donations may be made to a charity of choice. Online condolences: www.chboudreau.com