A former St. Albert Catholic superintendent and the namesake of J.J. Nearing Catholic has died.
Greater St. Albert Catholic Schools announced Oct. 4 that former superintendent John Joseph Nearing died on Oct. 2. He was 92.
Known to many as “Jack,” Nearing was the superintendent of what is now GSACRD from 1983 to 1997. His time in office included the opening of three schools (V.J. Maloney, École Marie Poburan, and École Secondaire Sainte Marguerite d’Youville), the St. Albert Catholic district’s 125th anniversary, and the creation of GSACRD (which combined the St. Albert, Legal, and Morinville Catholic school districts).
GSACRD recognized Nearing’s contributions in August 1998 by naming the new J.J. Nearing Catholic Elementary School in his honour.
Nearing was a pivotal figure in shaping the educational landscape of St. Albert and the surrounding community, and played a central role in the creation of GSACRD, said current GSACRD superintendent Clint Moroziuk. J.J. Nearing Catholic stands as a testament to his commitment to the students, staff, and families of St. Albert and his lifelong dedication to education and faith.
“As the current superintendent, I’m proud to continue building on the foundation Jack Nearing established,” Moroziuk said.
“His influence is still felt in the work we do today to support students in their journeys of learning and faith.”
Storyteller, mentor
Nearing grew up in Sydney, N.S., in a strict Catholic household, said his son, Daniel. Nearing would later tell his children about how he remembered watching the ships coming in to ferry troops and equipment to the front lines during the Second World War, and how one boy rode his bike off the docks into the deadly cold waters of the Atlantic.
“When they retrieved the body out of the water, he was still holding onto the bicycle,” Daniel said.
Nearing’s parents wanted him to attend a seminary, and he did for a time, Daniel said. He later left to become a teacher, and married Daniel’s mother, Sheilah.
“On their very first date, he gave [my mother] a rosary to assure her he appreciated her goodness and purity,” Daniel said.
Daniel said Nearing and Sheilah hopped into a car almost immediately after they got married and drove across Canada to Nelson, B.C., where Nearing had his first teaching job. His boss thought he was too young to be a teacher, but Nearing convinced him to give him a chance.
Daniel said his father was a masterful raconteur, and would often tell meandering yet engrossing tales at the dinner table that would almost always end in a parable. He was very close with his children, and would take them camping and fishing. Baseball games were a common family outing, with Nearing able to spot a fastball or a change-up despite being up high in the stands.
“Right up until his final days, he was watching the [Toronto] Blue Jays and lamenting that they weren’t going to be in the playoffs this year,” Daniel said.
A career-climber who wanted the best for his wife and five kids, Nearing held teaching and administrative positions in Medicine Hat, Edmonton, Calgary, and Victoria before becoming superintendent of what was then St. Albert School District No. 3 (now GSACRD). Daniel said his father described his time in St. Albert as the greatest time of his life.
“He felt more at home there, more supported, and [given] more latitude to lead than he did at any other time in his career.”
Donna Fedoration, the first principal of J.J. Nearing, said Nearing’s time as superintendent was characterized by professionalism and integrity, with his words of wisdom guiding the district through challenging times under the Klein government.
“For me, he was a true mentor,” Fedoration said.
Nearing retired to Calgary and was surprised when he got the call about a school being named after him, Fedoration recalled. Nearing attended the Oct. 8, 1998, opening and planted a five-foot-tall coniferous tree by the front door — one that he got to see grow taller than the school itself during the building’s 10th and 20th anniversaries.
Nearing died in hospice care in Calgary from pancreatic cancer just six day’s short of J.J. Nearing’s 26th anniversary.
Daniel said his father lived a full life and faced his end without fear.
“I hope I can live and confront my own mortality with the courage he did.”
Nearing was predeceased by his parents John and Jessica, siblings Bill and Betty, and his wife Sheilah. He is survived by his five children (Brian, Carolyn, John, Daniel, and Sheilah), seven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
Daniel said the family plans to hold a celebration of Nearing’s life in the near future.
