John passed away peacefully on Thursday September, 9, 2021, in Mississauga, Ontario at the age of 91.

Left to celebrate his life are his daughter Lynn Hallson (Richard), grandchildren Jennifer Hallson (Scott Gentile) and Kathleen Hallson (Jacob Bartlett), son Steve (Catherine Rumancik), as well as brother Ken, brother-in-law Eric Nieminen (Raymond) and several nieces and nephews.

John was born on October 31, 1929 in Sydney, Nova Scotia. He is predeceased by his wife, Irene (2014), his sister Meg (2013) and his parents Harold (1986) and Dorothy (nee Ross) (1990).

John graduated from Queen’s University in 1952 with a degree in Mining Engineering.
His career took him to many locales. From Nova Scotia with the Dominion Coal Company, to England with the National Coal Board; then joining Noranda Inc. in 1956 as a research engineer and subsequently a mine supervisor in Noranda, Quebec. Thereafter, John held mine manager and supervisory positions with Noranda in Northern Ontario, Saskatchewan and finally executive positions at the head office in Toronto, before retiring in 1992. Through his career, John was also active on corporate boards and with industry organizations, including a term as Chairman of the Ontario Mining Association.

While in Noranda, John met and married his wife, Irene (nee Nieminen). They enjoyed 55 years of marriage prior to Irene passing in 2014. John and Irene had many fond memories of Saskatoon while John was superintendent and manager of Central Canada Potash - raising a family, great neighbors on Shannon Crescent, hosting parties, and family ski trips to Banff and Jasper.

After retiring, John took up woodworking and crafted numerous beautiful items for family and friends. He and Irene enjoyed many activities including tennis, skiing, golfing, gardening, spending time with their family and friends. John was especially supportive of his grandchildren Jen and Kate who enjoyed memorable summer vacations around grandpa’s pool in Mississauga.

A private family burial will take place at Springcreek Cemetery, in Mississauga, where John will join his wife Irene.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Trillium Health Partners Foundation