Ronald Joseph "Bo" Chisholm
1938 - 2021
Ronald Joseph "Bo" Chisholm
Visitation Information
Visitation
There will be no public visitation
Service Information
Service Date
Wednesday February 24, 2021
Service Time
11:00 am
Service Location
St. Ninian Cathedral, Antigonish
Burial Information
Burial Date
Burial at a later date
Burial Location
St. Ninian Cemetery
Requested Charity
St. Martha's Regional Hospital Foundation, 25 Bay Street, Antigonish,NSB2G2G or the Jordon Myles Foundation, 11B Alex Terrace, Antigonish, NS B2G 0A6
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Bo's funeral will be viewable live on Wednesday at 11:00am by following this link:  https://youtu.be/NQRCoHwr3Kc

 

Chisholm, Ronald Joseph "Bo",  passed away peacefully on Sunday, February 21st, 2021 at St Martha’s Hospital in Antigonish.

The son of Donald Peter and Mary Catherine (MacLellan) Chisholm, he was born on March 9th, 1938. He grew up in Antigonish, fell in love, got married, ran a business, raised his family, and spent his life here.

Bo was a devoted family man. He was the kind of husband who was proud to support his talented wife in all her ambitions and the kind of father who inspired zealous devotion in his five daughters. He was a natural athlete, a proud kilt wearer, a baker extraordinaire. His antics as a Bulldogs hockey fan are legendary. He took over the family business, D P Chisholm Insurance Ltd, and his little office at the west end of Main Street was an iconic gathering place for the cast of characters that populated "The Main" for many decades.

The community-minded spirit that Bo embodied benefitted many organizations over the years. He was a volunteer with the Antigonish Highland Society for over 70 years and he was a fixture at Columbus Field during the Highland Games. He was a member of the Antigonish Volunteer Fire Department and the Red Cross Disaster Chairman for the town and county of Antigonish for three decades. Bo was on the Board of Directors for the Bergengren Credit Union, the Braemore Co-op, and CJFX Radio. He was a canvas volunteer for the Diabetes Society, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, the Canadian Cancer Society, and the Kidney Foundation. He coached hockey and basketball. He volunteered at the Special Olympics, and at StFX Football/Hockey and Cross Country events. He could be counted upon to do whatever was needed to make his community a better place, from visiting the residents of the CACL and the RK MacDonald Guest House, to driving dialysis patients to appointments in Halifax. And if misfortune befell your family, Bo might show up with a pan of biscuits and a jar of Liz’s strawberry jam.

Bo was a devout Catholic. His deep faith was a centerpiece of his life and his family. His daughters have fond memories of Sunday mornings, waiting their turn for their father to hoist them in the air by the waistband of their tights. Once all the tights were pulled up, it was off to Mass. Bo was a past Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus and was active with that organization for many years. He was a hospitality minister at St Ninian’s Cathedral for a quarter century and was the caretaker for the Jimtown Chapel for many years. When Bo was appointed Justice of the Peace in 1991, he would not perform weddings, as in his mind, marriage is a sacrament. After consulting his priest, he was convinced that as a Justice of the Peace, the ceremonies he performed would be civil ceremonies rather than sacraments, and he went on to marry hundreds of happy couples over his nearly 30 years as a Justice of the Peace.

Bo is survived by his wife Elizabeth "Liz", his daughters Kathy Chisholm (Ted McDonald) of Fredericton, Karen Corsten (Marty) of Halifax, Mary Beth McCarron (Kevin) of Antigonish, Allison Chisholm (John McKee) of Fredericton, Dale Chisholm (James Schiesz) of Fredericton, his sister Sharon Hughes of Antigonish, his much-loved grandchildren Imogen, Tess, Annecy, Abby, Maggie, Rory, Scout, Lily, Bo, and Jonah and his great-grandchildren Duffy, Johnny, and Eleanor. He was predeceased by his brothers DP and Bill "Chissy" Chisholm.

Funeral Mass will be held in St. Ninian Cathedral on Wednesday, February 24th, at 11:00 am with Reverend Donald MacGillivray presiding.  Covid 19 restrictions will be in effect. Burial in the parish cemetery at a later date. When Covid-19 restrictions are lifted, the family looks forward to seeing Bo’s many friends and extended family at a celebration of life befitting such a pillar of the community.

The family would like to thank St. Martha’s Hospital, especially the Palliative Care Unit. Donations in memory of Bo Chisholm may be made to St Martha’s Regional Hospital Foundation, 25 Bay Street, Antigonish; Antigonish Palliative Care Society, P.O. Box 996, Antigonish, NS B2G 2Sc or the Jordon Myles Foundation in support of adolescent mental health at 11B Alex Terrace, Antigonish, NS B2G 0A6. Online condolences:  www.clcurry.com

 

Ronald Joseph "Bo" Chisholm