Obituary of Medric Joseph Hachey

On August 9, 2023, Medric Joseph Hachey passed away having lived a life he himself would often describe as one that surpassed his wildest dreams. His wife, champion, pesterer, and partner in life of 59 years, Shirley comforted him in his death as she did throughout their incredible life together. 

Born in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1940, Medric was the son of Rose Gould and Wilfred Hachey and was brother to Joe, Jimmy, Donald, Patrick and sisters Eileen and Norma. Medric met his smart, driven, beautiful wife-to-be, Shirley, on a blind-date (she wasn’t his date, but stole his heart) and a few years later, they married in the breathtaking Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Saint John, New Brunswick on April 25, 1964. 

Medric left his beloved home province for London, Ontario upon hearing that good jobs were on offer. As the story goes, once in London, Medric walked into the-then General Motors plant and with his charisma, charm, and simple smarts, landed a job. And “Generous Motors”, as it became known in our household, changed his life and that of his family’s forever. Shirley joined him shortly after to start building what would become a wonderful, blessed, and full life with their children Michelle, Leanne, Andrea and Jeffrey.

Medric or simply “Med” to his many, many friends, was truly one of a kind. He was a product of his modest, humble upbringing and brought a grounded balance and perspective to every event, situation, and crisis. He was full of life, jokes, wisdom, kindness, and compassion. He loved to have fun and make fun of himself and those he loved. If you were the target of one of Med’s jokes, it was a badge of honour.

Part of what drew people to Med was his mischievous nature and his incredible humour. He liked to do stuff a diabetic shouldn’t. He liked to sneak a taste of his mother-in-law’s fruitcake, smoke cigarellos, and drink a beer or two. Life is meant to be lived, he would say. True to form, Med liked to play practical jokes and, as the life of the party, would do his very best to steal the limelight. Whether it was making a toast at a wedding when he didn’t know the couple, or getting his bracelet stuck in a vintage banjo, he knew how to capture a crowd. While Med may have gotten the newly-married couples’ names wrong or broken a few banjo strings, the party was always on after Med’s theatrics.

Med also loved news and sports. A history buff, intrigued by politics, but also a Notre Dame, Blue Jays,  Habs and Leafs fan (yes, we said that) and he loved his east coast hockey players, particularly Sidney Crosby.  All these interests combined meant that CNN, the history channel or Sportsnet was always on in the background, even when Med was watching with despair or disgust, which was often.  

But above all, Med was a family man. His family always, always came first. He beamed with pride with each accomplishment – small or big – of each of his kids. He happily and eagerly attended ringette tournaments, even played ringette (though he couldn’t skate so he wore cougar boots instead), and proudly watched his kids play soccer, hockey, baseball, volleyball, and was often the lone dad at ballet recitals. In later years, he took the same joy in watching (though he couldn’t really see) and cheering for his grandkids at every game or event he could attend. He loved being part of life’s simple yet profound moments to the very end. His Saturday coffee at the market with his family were an event not to be missed. Always on time, they were the highlight of his week.

There was no one, however, who Medric adored more than Shirley, his wife. He and Shirley were true partners and there was never any question who came first in Med’s life. A good family, he said, starts with a good marriage. When Med was no longer able to be the full partner he wanted to be, Shirley stepped in and stepped up, taking such good care of Med like no one else could.  And as a man of deep faith, Med was often heard to say that he had lived a full and blessed life and was ready to go when Jesus was ready to take him. Jesus may have been ready; we weren’t.

Medric’s outlook on life and his legacy lives on in his wife Shirley (nee: Nowlan), his kids Michelle (Mark Brown), Leanne (Kristian Curran), Andrea (Peter Szuty) and Jeff (Sarah Grady) and his 10 grandkids: Harrison, Hannah, Mackenzie, Chloe, Aidan, Elliot, Chamonix, Sophie, Jacob, and Jack.

His friends and family are so grateful to have been part of Med’s life. His outlook and perspective on life lives on in all of us. And we are all better because of him.

Visitation will be held on Sunday, August 13, 2023 from 4:00-7:00 p.m. at Northview Funeral Chapel, 1490 Highbury Avenue North, London. The funeral mass will be celebrated from The Chapel at Windermere on the Mount,1486 Richmond Street, London on Monday, August 14, 2023 at 11:00 a.m.

Memorial donations to the Canadian Diabetes Association would be greatly appreciated by the family.