On Thursday June 18, 2026, Jack departed this life after a long illness. He was 94. He never lost his wit or lively connection to play, and fun that endeared him to all who knew and loved him. He was a gregarious spirit with a large capacity for simple joys that came with laughter, dancing and toward the end, singing loudly and confidently without needing to know all the words. He had been living at Highview Residences in London since May 2024, following a debilitating infection of the COVID virus in late 2023, from which he never recovered. Jack was a Christmas baby born on December 25, 1931, in Halifax Nova Scotia. He was the middle child of Frank and Florence Hall. The family moved to Windsor and then to London during his youth. In 1956, he went to a dance and was smitten with Shirley Keyes, a nursing student. They married later that year and by 1961, had three children. They were together until she passed suddenly in 2018 from cancer. When asked about the best part of his life, Jack didn’t hesitate. It was Shirley. Together they met life’s challenges, learned, struggled and stayed together. They found a deep appreciation of what it means to be lifelong partners. They never lost their love of dancing, the woeful Maple Leaf’s and full weekends of bridge and more bridge. Jack was a gutsy card player who delighted in making Shirley (always on the other team) curse with his outrageous, yet dazzling bids. More often than not, he made the hand. He spent his career in retail management and leadership, first for the Metropolitan Store his father managed, later moving to Jack Austin Pharmacies at Woolco and then Big V Drug Stores. He was considered by his staff to be a generous, kind and very human boss. Jack faced his share of adversity. In 1975 he joined Alcoholics Anonymous and became an active member. The benefit of service to others and the Twelve Steps guided his actions for the remainder of his life. This July 25th, his dry date, he would have been sober 51 years. He was involved in AA until his health kept him away. After retiring, he found new ways to serve. Shirley and Jack moved to Spry Shores on Lake Huron. He joined and then became president of the Rotary Club. They raised money for the Wiarton hospital, supported scholarships and other causes. He was Santa in the Lion’s Head Christmas parade. Jack, Shirley and a small but mighty team of volunteers and club members cooked hundreds of chickens for BBQ dinners and grilled endless pancakes, bacon and potatoes for Rotary breakfasts on the beach at Lion’s Head, rain or shine. They ran a successful weekend long country music festival for two years that brought people to the Bruce from all over Canada and the U.S. There was always fun that went with the hard work. In 2015 they moved to Ilderton to be closer to London and family. Jack is lovingly remembered by his children, Margaret, Wendy and Peter; his grandchildren, Sam and Max MacPherson, Jessica and JD Hart, and Sarah (Rudy) Carreiro, his great-grandchildren, Jayda, Jaxton and Zoey, and by his sister Gwyneth Doty. He was predeceased by his beloved Shirley, his parents Frank and Florence, his sister Elizabeth Dewar Davis, and son-in-law Sandy Hart. Wherever Jack and Shirley lived, in Galt, Kitchener, London, Spry Shores and Ilderton, they joined the community, contributed and made good friends. The same was true of their communities of AA and AlAnon. Family and friends are invited to celebrate Jack’s life on Tuesday July 21st at the Civic Garden Complex, 625 Springbank Drive in London, from 2:00-4:00 pm, with remarks beginning at 2:30 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations in Jack’s memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Society. A very special thank you to the staff at Highview Residence where Jack lived and spent his last days. He died peacefully, wrapped in loving and professional care that was a great support and comfort for the family.
