John Hallett

A wonderful man who will be greatly missed. I had the pleasure of knowing John through both ACPM and Sun Life, and looked forward to encounters with him because he was such a warm professional. Deepest condolences to the family.

Dear Cathy. I’m so very sorry to hear of John’s passing. Life really is too short. I pray that time will heal the unfathomable grief that you and the kids are experiencing. May peace be with you, Cathy.

My deepest sympathies to John's family and friends on his sudden passing. He was a long-time volunteer with the ACPM and will be missed. Stephanie Kalinowski, Toronto, Chair, ACPM National Policy Committee

Such shocking news. John was a good friend and a supportive colleague. I know he will be sorely missed. My thoughts are with the family during this difficult time. May God watch over all of you.

I was really shocked when I heard this very sad news. I had the opportunity to work with John through the Association of Canadian Pension Management, mainly as a fellow Board member. Without any doubt, I have to say it was a privilege and I always enjoyed my interactions with him. He always demonstrated composure and common sense. A real "class act" he was. My sincere condolences to his family and friends. Michel

Cathy and family We are so sorry and shocked to hear of John’s passing.I first met John at Crown Life but got to know him much more at PEBA. He was a person that was so comfortable to be around, I respected him and enjoyed our periodic conversations when he would pop into my office. I will treasure our conversation of a month ago. You were good neighbours way back when. Our sincere condolences Cathy.

I was so heartbroken to see this news. I had the immense pleasure of working with John on projects through the ACPM and his passion and genuine care for the work that he did in this industry was truly something to behold. For all of his knowledge, talent and experience he was also humble and a true gentleman. I admired and respected him immensely and his voice will be sorely missed. For as much as the industry will grieve his loss, all my thoughts and prayers for strength and resolve through this difficult time are with his beloved family. My sincerest condolences.

Sooooo sorry Cathy. What a shock! The world is a dimmer place without John. His smile, his laugh and his upbeat attitude were ever present. Through all the years and projects that I worked with John he was always fully engaged, tenacious, and aiming for the best outcome. Will miss him greatly. Our thoughts are with you.

My deepest condolences on the loss of such a special person. I had the privilege of working with John at both Crown Life and at Sun Life. He was wonderful to work with; so knowledgeable, witty and always willing to help and share his knowledge. He will be missed greatly. My thoughts are with you!

Cathy and family, I am so sorry to hear of John’s passing. My deepest condolences. Thinking of you and wishing you comfort and peace.

Cathy and family, so so sorry and shocked to learn of John’s passing. I will treasure our last conversation only about a month ago when I took the liberty to give John a call to talk about pensions/RRIF’s. Initially I was not sure if I should call him but then I thought “it is John” he won’t mind and who better to ask with all of his expertise on the subject. I remember John from the Crown Life days but really got to know him during the PEBA days. Truly respected John and his laidback personality. Our sincere condolences to you and family.

On behalf of the Board and staff of the Association of Canadian Pension Management, our deepest sympathies go to the family and many friends of John Hallett. I knew John for several years and it was always a pleasure to talk with him. One of the most accommodating and humble individuals we have ever known and we miss him dearly.

John was a real gentlemen and will be greatly missed by everyone in the pension industry. My condolences to his family.

Dear Cathy, Teresa, Brodie and Caitlin, my heart goes out to you on the loss of John so very suddenly. His love for his family was evident in our many conversations over the years. It was a privilege to work with John and I was lucky enough to become a friend. He was always willing to share his time and knowledge and I considered him my mentor. I will miss his storytelling, his quick dry wit and his unending knowledge of pensions. My thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time.

My most sincere condolences to John's wonderful family and fabulous friends that he spoke about often with love and fondness. As you can see from the comments from others at Sun Life, we all felt that John was part of our work family. We did lay claim to him in western Canada and were thus fortunate to see him virtually on our weekly team Zoom calls. He was invariably the first to arrive and if I was lucky and arrived early I'd get a few minutes with John to catch up and have a laugh - always a good laugh - before the meeting began. I treasure those little moments. He was funny, caring, trustworthy, hilarious, and a great man.

I am saddened for your loss. John was a good man and is gone too soon.

Hi Cathy. Such a shock. I can still see John at Memory’s last American Thanksgiving. I read in one of the earlier posts how he would peaceful look at you with administration and happiness. As soon as I read that it put me right to the moment at Memory’s and so true that is. John was so easy to chat with and I just loved his music. My brother Kerry passed away young. In many ways John’s personality reminds me of him. I think they will meet soon as Kerry’s favourite band was Rush. Peace be with you and your family. We will keep in touch. Kevin

Our deepest condolences. John was a friend and a good person. He will be missed.

It with great sadness and a hole in our heart that we heard about the passing of John. I worked with John on the project he was on up until his leave and he was an absolutely incredible person to work with. He brought such a great positive and helping attitude and everyone on the team absolutely loved him. I got to spend a lot of time with John as we worked through problems and he quickly became a mentor to me. He would always say "we will turn you into a pension person by the end of this" and I would say he did. John has the most amazing ability to just do whatever needed to be done and to figure it out, he took on so many tasks for us that he did not need to but John just wanted to. I am going to miss his long emails explaining something and being so thankful that he would take the time to help us. I and the team were really excited to have him return and get his help back on the project and more importantly his fun and upbeat attitude, John made working very fun. John I am going to really miss you and know that every time I learn something new about pensions I am going to be thinking of you, we only knew each other for a brief time but it was very impactful time for me, thank you very much for all you gave me.

I am heart broken over the loss of John. I met John many years ago on a work project and then was lucky to spend the last four+ years working directly with him at Sun Life. He loved life, he loved what he did, he loved music and having fun! But most of all, what shone through always, was his love for his family. He always spoke of Cathy, Teresa, Brodie and Caitlin with such love and affection. It was clear how much he loved you all and how much you meant to him. To work with John was such a pleasure. Nothing was too big or too small. He always had time for everyone and gave so freely of his knowledge and know how. He loved what he did. I will miss our conversations and debates. I will miss working with him. He was, quite simply, one of my favorite people. Cathy, Teresa, Brodie and Caitlin - my heart goes out to you all.

I am so saddened to hear of the passing of John. I had the privilege of working with John over the past few months and have fond memories of his passion in pension. We all benefited from his selflessness in sharing his wealth of knowledge and will always remember his kindness, his friendliness, his sense of humor and his deep intellect. My prayers and thoughts are with you during this difficult time.

Cathy, my deepest sympathy to you and your family. Although I never worked directly with John, I remember him from the Crown Life days. John has clearly touched the lives of many people in a profound way over the years. You are in my thoughts at this difficult time.

I was very shocked to hear of John’s passing and send my deepest condolences to John’s family, and his many friends across the country. My memories of John begin when he worked with PEBA and I was with Manulife in Waterloo and continued through my time with Sun Life in Toronto and Vancouver. It was such a treat to spend time with John over the years at industry conferences and on business trips to Regina. Our discussion always revolved around a great meal, reflections and stories about this industry, John’s interests, his beloved family, and as mutual fans of RUSH. Like many others, over the years I came to feel that I’ve always known John--and was made better for knowing him. John will be missed by all who were privileged to know and work with him.

I am deeply saddened to receive the shocking news of John’s passing. John and I got to know each other through the Association of Canadian Pension Management (both serving on the board and various committees). John made many significant contributions to ACPM. More importantly, he was a truly wonderful person to spend time with. He had an easy going manner and a great sense of humour. He will be missed by many. Please accept my condolences on this terrible loss.

Dear Cathy and Family. Our sincere condolences on John's passing. I am including part of our CPBI Conference opening speech. "CPBI lost a dear friend last week. John Hallett was a frequent speaker, moderator and a major contributor to CPBI. He was on CPBI’s Saskatchewan Council for many years and named as Saskatchewan’s Volunteer of the year in 2013. John served in the pension industry for close to 50 years. He was a friend to many and our thoughts are with his family in these difficult times. In gratitude of John’s contribution to CPBI, we would like to dedicate our 53rd National FORUM in his honor. I would ask for a few moments of silence to honor his memory." Our thoughts are with you, your family and friends. Caroline

Cathy, so sorry to hear about John. There'll be a new concert goer in heaven now.

My condolences go out to the whole family. I had the pleasure of welcoming John in our small little team at SunLife 4+ years ago. We shared the same role and worked very closely together for quite some time. John was always willing and available to share his wealth of knowledge and experience with me, both of the pension industry and life in general. He was an amazing colleague and I feel privileged that our paths crossed.

I am thinking of the Hallett family and sending strength across the miles for the coming days, weeks and months ahead. John was an incredible colleague at Sun Life and a dedicated Board Member at ACPM. I consider myself so fortunate to have spent time with John over the past couple of years and I always learned so much in each conversation. He was so passionate about the pension industry and his dedication served as an example of the power we can each have in effecting change . He will be missed dearly but his legacy will live on in so many wonderful ways.

My deepest condolences to John's family. I am deeply saddened by this news. John recruited me to join the "Crown Lifers" way back in 1994, and we remained in contact over the years, mostly through pension conferences. John's kindness and empathy were qualities that made him stand out from most others, and there was also his wonderful sense of humour, and somehow everything about pensions was fun when John was around!

Dear Cathy and family, please accept my condolences for your loss. A friendly fixture for me on my business trips to Regina, or the national conferences we would attend together, I was very saddened by his news today. My thoughts are with you.

I got to know John very well many many years ago when we implemented a retirement planning software for him while he was working at PEBA. His passion, interest to do the best and right thing stuck with me - as did his sense of humour. We had recently reconnected to discuss this same software. He made a difference to people's lives and will live on in all of our memories. My thoughts are with his family.

I'm so sorry for your loss. I met John through a couple of pension/benefit conferences. He was kind, helpful and a true gentleman! He will be missed.

So sorry for your loss. I am in Montreal attending CPBI National Forum this week, so I am unable to be there in person. We will watch the live stream. The Forum was dedicated to John to honor and remember his contributions to the pension industry. We had a moment of silence in remembrance. He left his mark on many of us and will be missed. John was the best boss! Thank you for sharing him with us.

My heart hurts for you Cathy, Theresa, Brodie and Katie! He was so proud and loved you deeply! John was one of a kind and larger than life. Working with John was about devotion to our clients and their pensions. Never a day without new ideas and strategies to achieve them. John will always be in our memories. Fitting that I am at a CPBI conference but will be at the service in spirit! God will provide you strength through this difficult time. Barb Diebel

Cathy - I am heartbroken for you and your family with John's loss. May you find peace and love in your memories and his presence with you as you walk through this difficult time.

To Cathy and family: so sad to hear of John's passing. He was a special man and father. Spent time with John at Crown Life and PEBA. Loved our conversations about life and music. Hard to imagine, but I am now at loss for words. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Dear Cathy and family, I was so surprised and saddened to see John’s obituary. I have many fond memories of John from the Crown Life days. He always had a smile and something funny to say. I remember him as a hard worker and someone you could count on to help you out. My condolences to you all. Katrine

Cathy and family, We are very sorry for your loss, and extend our sympathy. It was a privilege to meet the special people in John’s life and see why he was so proud of all of you. Sad to have him gone so soon. It was also a privilege to work with John for so many years. I loved working with someone that had the same passion for pensions and Keith appreciated John’s same love for rock music as he had. The only difference was one liked Rush the best and the other preferred the Stones. We will miss John.

Sad to read about John. Never quite got his devotion to pensions, much easier to understand his love of family and music. Impossible guy not to like. Deepest sympathy at the loss of a genuinely warm and wonderful person.

Dear Cathy and family. Our thoughts are with you. John was “one of a kind”. His gentle manners and humour laced with sarcasm will be missed. Take a memory to warm a place in your hearts.

Cathy, Teresa, Brodie & Caitlin, I am so sorry for your loss. John was such driving force in the the pension industry and a rock for your family. I was fortunate to spend the 8 years I was at Crown Life working directly with John. His knowledge and coaching was second to none and my time at Crown, and my career in the industry was made better knowing him. I was fortunate to be part of a special group led by John who, even now, almost 30 years later still got together a couple of times a year to share a few laughs. My thoughts are with all of you through this difficult time.

I'm so thankful for the time I had to get to know John over the past 4+ years. He joined our small team at Sun Life because he passionately believed in an innovative new pension product we were working on. He loved what he did and shared his knowledge and passion for the topic with everyone he met. He was a real friend, always willing to help and to forgive. I will miss him. He loved his family and spoke of each of you fondly. You are all in my thoughts and prayers.

Cathy and family I am so sorry to hear of your loss, Canada Life family is mourning with you.

I'm very sad to hear of John's sudden passing. I don't think anyone else has been or will be so happy to wake up at 5am and immediately start talking about pensions! This is such a huge loss for so many of us and he is already missed.

Karen & I are sending too love and our deepest condolences. I remember fondly as John patiently took us teenagers to various destinations and welcomed our squeaky teenaged selves. I know how much he meant to all of you. We are sending you much strength during this hard time.

I am so sorry Cathy, Teresa, Brodie and Caitlin for your immense and deep personal loss. I wish you strength and courage during this very difficult time. John was a fantastic leader who eventually became a good friend. John gave me an amazing opportunity to work with the Toronto field office team of Crown Life about 30 years ago. I thought he was nuts to think a visible minority woman could do group retirement presentations in front of plan members and for that I will eternally be grateful for his faith in me and my abilities. I still laugh sometimes when I think of the banter between him and Gay O'Leary. I will always cherish the memories and the good times with John and my Crown Life friends. Love you John. Rest in peace.

Such sad news to hear the other day about John’s passing. I absolutely loved John from the moment I met him. Funny. Kind. Caring. Wonderful husband and father. Sympathy to you Cathy and your family for this tragic sudden loss. My thoughts and love are with you all.

Cathy. My deepest condolences. I remember John being patient with us young kids at Crown Life. But being quick to give us some sarcasm during the training! And the endless comments about his long hair! He will be missed.

I worked with John for many years at Crown Life. He was an outstanding person ... caring, friendly, funny. So sorry to hear of his passing.

My deepest condolences for your loss. I had the pleasure of working with John at Crown Life when it was located in Toronto. He was great to work with and always there to help out.

Cathy - please accept our condolences to you & your family. I had the good fortune to grow up around the corner from John, aka Jackie, where we would hop the fence to get into each other's backyard. I played a lot of baseball with John in our youth, and had my first encounter with rum & coke at a party in his parent's basement many, many years ago - it did not go well for me that night - lol. Although I have not seen either of you since your move out west, I will treasure the memories of the great person he was. RIP John.

I was so sorry to hear of John's passing and deepest sympathies from myself and my family to all of you. John was a mentor and a good friend and much of the personal and professional success I have had in my life follows a direct line from the time I spent working for and learning from John at Crown Life in Regina. He will be missed.

Cathy and Family: I am so sorry for your loss. You were part of that special group of Crown-Lifers who migrated here to Regina. I was lucky enough to be hired here into the Pension group and worked directly with John for most of my years with Crown Life. He had incredible knowledge, strong work ethic and was a wonderful family man and friend. My heart goes out to you - he will be missed by so many.

My deepest condolences to the family. I am wishing you Peace to bring comfort. Courage to find face the days ahead and loving memories to forever hold in your heart.

Dear Cathy and family. My heartfelt sympathy for the loss of your husband and father. John truly was a special person and touched many lives. May the memories you hold dear in your heart help comfort you during this difficult time.

My heart goes out to you Cathy, Theresa and the rest of your family. It was a pleasure to meet John for such a brief period.

Hi sweetheart I’m sorry about Johns passing He was a good man,husband,father and a friend See you Monday

My deepest condolences to Cathy and family. I had the pleasure of working with John, and will miss his kind and positive spirit. He always spoke so fondly of his family, and clearly you meant the world to him. You are in my prayers.

I am so saddened to hear of John’s passing. John was such a good boss, good friend and an important mentor in my life. He was well respected and admired by all who knew him. My deepest condolences to Cathy, Teresa. Brodie and Caitlin.

I'm so sorry for your loss. I had worked with John at Sun Life. He was kind and helpful, and will be missed.

Words are missing in these circumstances. My deepest condolences for your loss. Your husband/father was well known at Sun Life. He was a passionate about pension and we shared very good conversation on complex pension plans! But also had good laugh!!! Sending you courage.

I am very sorry for your loss and offer my deepest sympathies to each of you, Family & Friends. John was an amazing gentleman with endless expertise and knowledge. His wisdom and sense of humor will be deeply missed. I wish all great courage in these difficult times. You are in my prayers.

I am very sorry for your loss. I had the honour and privilege to work with John over the course of the past few years. His expertise and insight was so valued and appreciated. He was a really great colleague.

Sending all my love to all the Halletts. I’m so sorry for your loss and hope that you take refuge in the support and love everyone is sending you. I have very fond memories of John and am glad our families grew up together all those years ago. Lots of love, Aemy

I am so sorry for your loss, Cathy and family. John was such a positive presence - and funny. A great co-worker when we worked together at Crown Life from the mid 80’s until the move in the early 90’s.

My deepest condolences for your loss. I had the priveledge of working with John very closely over the last few months and have great memories of his sense of humor and deep intellect. Our last conversation was about having dinner when I came down to Saskatchewan later this year. He will be very missed.

Cathy and family, ours prayers are with you. You both were such a big part of our lives in such a short time together. I remember Sheldon and John meeting each other for the first time and their passion for similar music tastes just bonded them instantly. John supported me during some of the most challenging times of my life.

Cathy...such sorrow! I remember John loving his tunes and being hilarious when we all worked at Crown. I also remember how he looked at you when you weren't looking. You were his heart. I am so sorry for your loss. Condolences are heartfelt for you and the kids.

Cathy and I are so sorry to hear of this loss. Like John and Cathy we were part of the Crown migration to Regina and I worked with John both in Toronto and here in Regina. He was a good friend, a great work colleague and a fine man. I know how devoted he was to his family and I know how sorely they will miss him. Our hearts go out to you. JD

Dear Cathy, Teresa, Brodie, and Caitlin. We are so sorry for your loss and want you to know that you are very much in our thoughts at this time. John was funny, upbeat, enjoyed the company of friends and family, and was someone that I was blessed to know. I know he loved all of you to the nth degree, as I know you loved him. He will be deeply missed by all of you and those of us who were privileged to know him. With love and our deepest sympathies - Karin, Amma, Tati, Ari, and Alex

I was a colleague of John's at Sun Life. We met a few times at our annual conference, and worked together on some projects. John was a wealth of knowledge and connections in the pensions industry. Condolences to his family during this difficult time. Prayers of strength. The table of angels is a little stronger now.

So sorry for your loss We worked together years ago at Crown Life May his memory be for a blessing Oscar Zimmerman

So very sorry to hear that John passed away. John had a quick wit and great sense of humour. In particular I remember many Saturday nights enjoying a session of nickel poker in the basement of his parent's home in East York. John was kind and generous, and will be missed.

I'm so sorry for your loss. I had worked with John on numerous occasions at Sun Life and he was always curious, helpful and full of life and suggestions. He was a lovely man and will be sorely missed.

I remember being a young 25 year old at a family function my friend’s, Teresa, Dad, John, and Mom, Cathy, were hosting. It was about 30 years ago but I still remember John’s advice like a surrogate father, as I was in Regina without any other family around. And I remember today some of the lessons he taught me that I use as I raise my own family. God Bless and my prayers are with you.

Alex and I had the pleasure of meeting John, Cathy and their Family several times once you all moved out to Regina and quite often at Janeen & Ken’s Home…& I recall we went back to your Home for a wee Nitecap! John was always fun to be around and we always enjoyed his and Cathy’s company. We were so sad for his passing and he will be sadly missed by so many. You all have our deepest Sympathy & Deepest Condolences. Sincerely Heather & Alex Logan and Family

Cathy and Family: You all are in my thoughts and prayers. John was great guy and I know how close your family was. You will miss him terribly. Hugs from all of us to you during this time. Susan, Ron and Andrew MacPhail

To the Family: Our sincere sympathies, Gods assurance, strength and comfort knowing that John is in a better place out of any pain and discomfort. Harold and Gwen Garner

I am so sorry for the loss of your husband & father. I never had the chance to meet John in person but have met his kids and they are extraordinary people. Sending love at this time.