Obituary of Art McGinnis

It is with great sadness that the family of Arthur Joseph McGinnis announce his passing on Thursday, March 16, 2023, at the Moncton City Hospital. Born in Norton, NB, on October 2, 1944, he was the son of the late Joseph and Leona (Scott) McGinnis.

We remember Arthur for his many wonderful qualities including his sharp wit, sense of humour, musical talent, compassion, strong sense of duty, competitive drive, high degree of self-taught business expertise, deep reverence and respect for family, and his faith in God.

Arthur was blessed with his dear and devoted wife Ramona and lovingly noted that she often sacrificed her own dreams to be at his side and support him in his career and ambitions. With her he shared a strong Faith in God and Prayer. Although he didn’t talk much about his faith, he lived by it in his actions and principles. He noted that his greatest achievement was to be the father of three outstanding sons who grew up to be extremely kind-hearted and loyal men. He made a point of sharing warm embraces with his sons and granddaughters, and of telling them I love You before the end of any talks on the phone.

From sharing his gift of guitar playing and singing from an early age to discovering his ability to write songs in later years, Arthur had a lifelong passion for music. He would encourage others to participate in the joys of music whenever he could, whether it was at a kitchen party, around an old camp stove or at a benefit concert. He had great lifelong friendships and enjoyed the company of some of the most talented musicians in the Maritimes.

Arthur’s fascination and love for sports began in the years when his Uncle Earl would pick up the whole Norton boy’s hockey team to go play in Sussex (often all in one car), Hockey and baseball became a lifelong source of joy for him. Arthur was very proud of his family background and remained close to all his Kings County relatives, even though he was called on to move between many Maritime locations in the course of his career.

He had a long and exemplary career with Zellers and played a leadership role in the success of many Maritimes stores and proudly in the development of other up-and-coming executives. He shared with them his extensive knowledge of the retail industry and had a great belief in people’s ability to better themselves. His motto - “Believe in others until they can believe in themselves” - is something he lived by. His hard work, dedication and strong intuition brought many honors and awards his way.

Arthur will be dearly missed by all his family, friends, and colleagues.

Art is survived by his loving wife Ramona McGinnis (Gale) of Moncton; children: Christian of Fredericton, Joe (Valerie) of Fredericton and Mark (Rosalie) of Moncton; grandchildren: Zoe and Katherine; brothers: Paul, Walter, Tony and Gerard; sisters: Donna, Eileen, Carmel, Evelyn, Rosemary, Katherine, Joan, Veronica and Joyce; as well as many nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, Art was predeceased by his brothers: Jack and David; and sisters: Ruth, Lois, Lorraine, Paulette and Maxine.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Sherwood’s Funeral Home and Life Tribute Centre (839-2156) 18 Scovil Road, Norton, NB where visitation will be held on Friday, March 24, 2023 from 4 to 7PM. Mass will be held on Saturday, March 25, 2023 at 11:00AM at Sacred Heath Catholic Church, Norton, NB. Interment will take place in the spring at Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery, Norton, NB.

Donations in memory of Art may be made to Sacred Heart Catholic Church or to the charity of the donor’s choice. Condolences to the family and donations may be made through SherwoodsFuneralHome.com