Obituary of J. Bruce CAIRNS

March 20, 1933 – Edmonton, Alberta June 22, 2015 – Calgary, Alberta Bruce Cairns, beloved husband of Marjorie McCarthy Cairns of Calgary, passed away on Monday, June 22, 2015 at the age of 82 years. Bruce enjoyed organizations as a youth – Cubs, Scouts, Cadets and participating in competitive shooting, earning Provincial title with the Navy Nonsuch Trophy. Planes and flying were the joy of his life. Bruce had his private pilot’s license by the age of 17. After graduating from high school, Bruce entered the RCAF Officers Training School in London, Ontario and graduated in 1952. His flight training took place in Claresholm, Alberta. He began work with Dominion Rubber in Edmonton. His marriage to Jeannette (Brassard) took place two months before the company transferred him to Calgary in 1956. Over the next few years they raised a family of five children, spending summers trailering, and camping at Parc Beauchemin, where he built facilities for badminton, mini-golf, horseshoes, and arranged tournaments. During Bruce’s employment years with Calgary Family Services and various oil companies, he studied for and obtained his CMA (Certified Management Accountant) taking early retirement from Westburne International Industries Ltd. in 1988. This afforded Bruce and Jeannette the opportunity to begin their great travel adventure with three and four month journeys to Australia, Asia, Central America, and Africa, visiting over one hundred countries. During this time, Jeannette became ill with cancer, but was determined to continue travelling to India and Europe. Sadly, their last journey, to South America, was followed by Jeannette’s death at age 63. Bruce enjoyed volunteering as a board member at Kerby Center and Rosemont Community, also at Agape Hospice mainly with gardening. He took great pride in his own gardens, xeriscaping his front yard and sculpturing the back yard with a variety of flowers, perennial bushes and flowering cacti. His constant love of travel took him on a Panama cruise with Kerby Globetrotters. It was here he met Marjorie who was hosting the cruise. Their love grew out of their companionship and mutual love of travel. They married in July of 2000 and began their travel odyssey, with two to three trips a year. Seeing eight grandchildren grow and mature gave Bruce much enjoyment (between planning the next trip!) Bruce is lovingly remembered by daughters, Denyse (Dale) Fair, Joanne (Warren) Brown, and Caroline (Olindo) Baffa, all of Calgary; sons, David (Carmen) Cairns of Calgary and Mark of Tucson, Arizona; step-daughter Brenda McCarthy of Calgary; his eight cherished grandchildren, Sean and Katelyn Brown, Carmello and Lucia Baffa, Natalie and Emily Fair, Joshua and Andrea Cairns, all of Calgary; and his brother Jack Cairns (Marquita) of Edmonton. Relatives and friends are invited to Prayers and Tributes at McINNIS & HOLLOWAY (Chapel of the Bells, 2720 Centre Street North) on Thursday, June 25, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at Canadian Martyrs Catholic Church (835 Northmount Drive N.W.) on Friday, June 26, 2015 at 1:00 p.m. Graveside Service to follow at Queen’s Park Cemetery. Condolences may be forwarded through . If friends so desire, memorial tributes may be made directly to the Agapé Hospice, 1302 – 8 Avenue N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 1B8 Telephone: (403) 282-6588, or to the Kerby Center, 1133 – 7th Avenue SW, Calgary, AB T2P 1B2. In living memory of Bruce Cairns, a tree will be planted at Fish Creek Provincial Park by McINNIS & HOLLOWAY FUNERAL HOMES, Chapel of the Bells, 2720 CENTRE STREET NORTH, Telephone: 403-276-2296.