Harold Bloomfield Grover

Harold Bloomfield Grover died peacefully at the Valley Regional Hospital in Kentville, Nova Scotia, January 15, 2018.  He was born in Lakeville, Kings County, NS, March 25, 1926. He was the first-born son of Percy Matthew Grover of Cross Country Harbour, Guysborough County, NS and Nell Ruth Morton, descendant of the New England Planters, Lakeville, Kings County, NS. He was predeceased by his wife of 70 years, Freda Levene (Porter), November 6, 2015. He is survived by his five children: Patricia Phyllis Grover Dix, Greenwich, NS; Theresa (Terry) Ann (Brian) Burley, Truro, NS and Florida; James (Jamie) Beverly (Jane), Lakeville, Kings Co., NS; Russell Alan (Heidi), Hamilton, ON; Richard Douglas, Billtown, Kings Co., NS; his eight grand-children: Angela (Drew) Pallett; Stephen (Elinor); Sarah; Michael (Karolyn); Kristina (Andrew); Shawn; Travis; his nine great-grandchildren: Jacob, Jordan Lively; Cameron, twins Alex and Thomas; Kelsey Grover-Murray; Ryan Millett; Madysin, Aubrey. He is survived by his older sister, Emily Bigelow and younger sister, Shirley Stewart, and by his sister-in-law, Carol (Taylor) Grover; and, by his brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Leander and Glenne (Stone) Porter; brother-in-law, Harry MacIntosh.  He is also predeceased by two younger brothers, Morton and Downey Grover; by sisters-in-law, Mary (Ewing) Grover and Ulrica (Porter) MacIntosh; by brothers-in-law, Laurence Bigelow, Russell Stewart, LeRoy Porter; by brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Joe and Etta (Porter) Dempsey; Cecil and Esther (Porter) Sanford; Leonard and Norma (Donovan) Porter; Harry and Tiny (Wood) Porter; Jack and Flo (Porter) Bowser; and 1 half brother-in-law and sister-in-law Luther and Leona Phinney, and three half sisters-in-law Irene (Phinney) Porter, Rita Phinney and Vera Phinney. He enlisted in WWII February 1944 at age 17 and was mustered out August 1945. He married November 10, 1945; then apprenticed with Patterson’s Electric and Slack’s Electric as an electrician.  Instead of taking a musical singing and playing lifestyle career as was offered to him in the late 1940s/early 1950s, he started his own business and went on his own at about the age of 26 and gave electrical, heating and plumbing services to thousands of residential and commercial customers over a 40-year period here in the Annapolis Valley, apprenticing his youngest son, Richard, who now continues the family business.  He also closed down his business for 3 months every year for over 25 years, to go to Caribou/Pictou to fish lobster, first with his father, then on his own, setting 600 traps a season with his little Cape Islander.  When he was asked to relinquish his seasonal lobster licence by the government at the age of 52, he took up golf all the while being told he would never be any good at golf as the pulling of electrical wire and hauling of lobster traps developed the wrong muscles for golf. At age 78, the provincial Chronicle Herald newspaper published a full page spread because he had consistently golfed his age that year. At age 91, he golfed 18 holes three times a week – also golfing his age and below in the high 80s several times. In the early 1950s he built his own 1 ½ storey 4-bedroom house, doing all the work himself.  At age 84, he built an additional 14x16’ bedroom on the house so Mom would not have to climb the stairs for sleeping. The municipal inspector said it was the best work he had seen. For the last many years, he planted two large vegetable gardens, making several dozen quarts of relish and pickles, blanching beans and freezing them, storing his squash and potatoes and onions and giving them away through the winter to neighbours and family members. He loved snowmobiling, being in the woods, hunting, going for walks in nature and his own solitude. He was an especially gifted problem-solver and did not see why he could not learn how to do anything he set his mind to. He was good at math, a natural musician with perfect pitch, superb bridge player, doing the daily crossword puzzle, cryptogram and sudoku right up until the morning of his massive stroke.  He could repair, recycle, repurpose almost anything. He travelled all over the world although he remained rooted to the land and was really a home body where he was most at peace – as he is now. As he would say, "So be it." He is so sadly missed. A special thank you to the VRH staff for kindnesses and grace provided during all the steps of his passing. Thank you, as well, to White’s Funeral Home. There will be a celebration of life later on in the summer.