We are heartbroken to share that John passed away in Victoria on August 14, 2022, peacefully and surrounded by his loving wife Nancy, and his children Coral and Clark.
John was born Giovanni Agostino in Belgium on August 28, 1952, to his Italian parents Luciano and Marcella Cernoia. When John was three, the family moved to the small community of Red Pass near Jasper, with other families supporting the CN Rail operations there. John’s early years living in that natural environment comprised of hunting and fishing with his father, attending a one-room school house, and developing a strong work ethic as the family settled into their new country. The family moved to Kamloops where John attended high school and lifelong friendships were formed.
John became a journeyman Electrician and began a 35-year career working for the Canadian Telephone and Supply Co., subsequently BC Tel and Telus. A few work postings to the coast resulted in John deciding that Victoria would be the perfect place to live, with its endless opportunities for outdoor recreation.
It was in Victoria that John met Nancy, and a love story was launched spanning more than 35 years. John devoted his life to the wellbeing of his wife, children, grandchildren and home. He loved pursuing his many hobbies, especially fishing, motorcycling, travelling, socializing with friends, and building and enjoying the family cabin on Valdes Island. John was a great craftsman who could build or fix anything, and he was a knowledgeable resource when anyone needed help with a project or problem.
John will be deeply missed by Nancy, Coral and Clark, his son-in-law Ross McPhail, his grandchildren Mila and James, an extended family of in-laws, nieces and nephews, and his many valued friends. We are all so thankful to have had this great man in our lives.
John successfully fought Multiple Myeloma for over 12 years while still living life to the fullest. It was only this summer that the cancer couldn’t be controlled despite the best efforts of John’s oncology team, led by Dr. Michael Szeto. For those wishing to make a charitable donation in John’s name, he was a supporter of the Canadian Cancer Society, specifically Multiple Myeloma research.
A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, August 27, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. in the Sequoia Centre at McCall Gardens, 4665 Falaise Drive, Victoria, BC. Condolences may be offered to the family below.
McCall Gardens
www.mccallgardens.com
20 Responses
My sincere condolences to Nancy, Carol and families.
So sorry
He will be missed by many
Oh No!! I’m so sorry to hear this. John was a wonderful person to work with, and always smiling. John was an excellent craftsman paying attention to every detail taking pride in all the work he did for Telus.
I’m so sorry for your loss.
Dale & Suzanne
John was a wonderful lifelong friend. We have so many fond memories of the times we spent together from our school days to our senior years. He was a talented craftsman, he could fix anything and he had a wonderful sense of humor. It was always a pleasure to be around him. We will always cherish those memories and deeply miss him. We are so grateful we had the opportunity to be his friend.
Much love to Nancy, Coral, & Clark and family
My condolences to John’s family, very sad to hear John passed away. I worked with John in CT&S Electrical and when in BC Tel Power Engineering in Victoria. After we retired John always had time for a chat whenever we bumped into each other. Great guy, he’ll be missed.
Nancy, Coral and Clark, Leigh Carol Julie and Brian and the whole family, I’m so sorry for your loss. To have such a wonderful husband, father, uncle, brother in law and friend is such a gift. His presence will surely be missed and I think of you all daily. Much love and my sincere condolences
Nancy, Coral and Clark. I wish you all my deepest condolenses. I will miss my brother-in-law who was a year younger. I always looked up to him for his intelligence, practicality, can do anthing fun approach to life and admirable family values extending to his many friends. I thank John for including me in many of his adventures as we always shared a good chuckle about family or the world we live in. I will always miss John.
A dear and cherished friend. We will miss John. We will always remember him, his quiet demeanour and generous nature. We will miss his smile and good humor. Nancy, Coral, Clark and family, our thoughts are with you. Much love to you all. Peter, Kathy, Kelly, Brad and Danny.
Nancy, Coral and Ross, and Clark. John was so proud of his family. He loved you to the end of the earth and back. The pain and sorrow you feel right now will eventually settle and you will strike a truce with it, never to be gone but at least in some way tolerable. Deb and I will miss him very much and we are holding you all in our hearts.
Deepest and most heartfelt sympathies to you and the family as you mourn the loss of John, a wonderful, loving husband, dad and grandfather! May the years of beautiful memories keep him alive in your hearts forever. Love Barry and Betty Carman