Major (Ret'd) Murray Arlis Covert, CD

Murray Arlis Covert died peacefully at Valley Regional Hospital in Kentville, NS, on December 27, 2025.  

Murray was born on March 28, 1940, in Paradise, NS, to the late Jerauld and Carrie (Parker) Covert. The fourth of five children, by all accounts he spent an idyllic childhood wandering in the woods, going to Sunday school and young peoples’ events at the Baptist Church, duet and quartet signing at BRHS, spotting Soviet planes for the RCAF Ground Observers Corps, and helping his mother, a practical nurse, tend to patients in their home. His brother Doug taught him to hunt and fish – he got his first deer at age 15 – and his sister Doris taught him how to dance, pastimes he enjoyed throughout his life. 

He met his first wife, Alta (Taylor, 1939-2023) when they were students at school in Bridgetown, and often told the tale of riding his bike up the South Mountain to Dalhousie to see her. Among other things, the two shared a love of dancing – noon-hour sock-hops were an important part of their courtship. Murray and Alta married in 1959 and made a life in the Kentville area. They brought up their five children in Sheffield Mills, where they lived until they retired in 1995. During their time there, Murray helped institute the Sheffield Mills Eagle Watch and was always to be found at the rifle shoot at the community’s Harvest Fair, either as organizer or putting his sharp-shooting skills to work. 

At high school in Bridgetown Murray joined the cadets, and at age 16 he was able to join the West Nova Scotia Regiment, the other great love of his life. He received his commission as 2 Lt.  in October 1961. At age 27 he was one of the youngest Infantry majors in Canada. He held a number of company commander positions within the West Novies over the years, but perhaps was proudest of the time that he took a leave from the Regiment to be commanding officer of 2444 Army Cadets at Camp Aldershot, which became one of the top-ranked cadet groups in the province under his direction. He retired from the militia in 1995. He credited its training with giving him the leadership skills that served him well throughout his life – as well as the ability to fearlessly drive any vehicle in any conditions. 

An avid outdoorsman, Murray loved hunting and fishing and going camping with family and friends. He served as president of both the Nova Scotia Wildlife Federation and the Canadian Wildlife Federation and was a director with Ducks Unlimited. He helped develop the NSWF’s hunter safety course and taught it for a number of years. He often participated in the annual loon count at Kejimkujik National Park and only stopped exploring local waterways when he could no longer lift his canoe onto the roof racks of the car. 

While he loved his solitary pursuits of hunting and fishing, at heart Murray was a social animal. If there was a dance, he was on the floor. He loved playing cards and games, telling stories, and socializing with friends. After he retired from his longtime job at "the farm" – the agricultural research station in Kentville – in 1995, he and Alta moved to the Annapolis Royal area where they stayed very busy, starting with gutting and renovating a 200-year-old house themselves. They joined Branch 122, Royal Canadian Legion in Clementsport, where he held many executive officer posts and was past president. They also were members of the Good Neighbours Club. Together they cooked up Sunday brunches and Friday night dinners to raise money for both groups, and became avid volunteers, earning the title of Annapolis County Volunteers of the Year for 2001. They advocated for seniors on the provincial and national levels, with travel to one conference in British Columbia taking them on the camping trip of a lifetime, as they drove with friends from Nova Scotia to Victoria, with side trips to the U.S. and to Yellowknife to visit with Murray’s nephew. Murray was also, among other pursuits, a civilian instructor at the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre in Cornwallis, an actor with the Kings Theatre Society and a tenor with the local men’s choir.  In 2012 he received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in recognition of his contributions to Canada. 

Murray and Alta returned to the Kentville area in 2018, where Alta died in 2023. 

As well as his parents and wife Alta, Murray was predeceased by his sisters, Jean (Christison) and Doris; brothers, Doug and Bill; brothers-in-law, Dave Christison, Robert Webber and Jim and Doug Taylor; sisters-in-law, Della (Taylor) Webber and Ruby (Spicer) Covert. 

He is survived by his children, Mike (Linda), Calgary, Jerry (Deb), Devon, AB, Kim, Ottawa, Brian and Kevin, Canning; grandchildren, Weston (Megan), Nina (Steve), both of Calgary, and Sarah (Nick) of Camrose, AB; great-grandchildren, Adam, Finnley and Teagan, as well as many nieces and nephews who thought the world of Uncle Murray, sisters-in-law, Nadine (née Taylor) Heisler, Joan (Jim) Taylor, and Charlotte Covert, as well as his dear cousin Etta Parker, with whom he shared a love of the outdoors.

Murray was married in 2025 to his second wife and longtime friend Joanna (Bishop), who provided companionship and loving care to him. He was predeceased by Joanna’s sister, Carolene Robertson and brother, Malcolm. He is survived by Joanna’s nephew, Murray and wife Jaimie Bishop; great nephew, Malcolm Bishop and brother-in-law, Dr. Allen Robertson.

A celebration of life for Murray will take place from 2-4pm on Saturday January 24, 2026 in the White Family Funeral Home. A Legion service will take place at 2pm followed by a time of fellowship. 

Joanna and the family of Murray Covert extend a warm invitation to relatives and friends to attend the interment to be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, July 24, 2026, at Paradise Cemetery – 10155 Hwy 1 (Evangeline Trail), Paradise, NS. A reception will follow at the Paradise Community Hall – 10300 Hwy 1 (Evangeline Trail), Paradise, NS., which is mobility accessible. Joanna and Murray’s family welcome those attending to a time of fellowship and remembrances at the hall immediately following the service.

Donations in memory may be made to Hope for Wildlife https://www.hopeforwildlife.net/support or to the Army Cadet League of Canada https://www.armycadetleague.ca/donate/ indicate Corp 2444. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the White Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Kentville. Online condolences and inquiries may be directed to www.whitefamilyfuneralhome.com.