Sean Mcgoldrick

John (Sean) McGoldrick was born in Glasthule, a small village beside Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, Ireland. He is the last in a family of six sisters and one brother. Predeceased by his son Paul, and his wife Jean. He leaves to mourn his daughter Sharon (Paul) Hatfield, his daughter-in-law Jill Ramage, grandchildren, Sean Jr., Caitlin, Julia (Steven), and Sinead.

As a young man, he trained and sang under the musical director

Dr. Vincent O'Brien, with the Palestrina Choir at the St. Mary's

Pro Cathedral in Dublin. This was a turning point in his life as it was a prestigious choral group and provided him with the momentum and the resolve to take a leap of faith and travel. He became a very

active member of the Irish Youth Hostel Association, and spent much of his youth hiking the Irish countryside, which led him to adventures in Europe and the U.S.

He began his journalism career in Czechoslovakia in 1949, filing stories for the United Press. He was expelled by the Communist government nine months later. From 1949 to 1953, he worked for the Irish News Agency and the United Press Bureau, Dublin, located in Dublin Castle at the time. In 1953 he emigrated with his fiancée Jean Glackin to Canada; they were married in 1954. He began working at CBC Radio in the late 50's and held a variety of positions including Editor-in-Charge, News Producer for the English Radio News Division, Montreal.

He later moved to CBC Halifax where he continued working until his retirement in 1987.

He joined his daughter in Canmore when he was 78 (1999), still young and fit enough to enjoy many ambitious hikes. He couldn't seem to get enough of the mountains and the friends he made hiking. He was an enthusiastic volunteer in the community and continued to be a member of local choirs, where he took enormous pleasure singing to "old folks" while in his 90's. Not one to sit at home, he could often be seen walking the trails or making the rounds of the Canmore pubs to have a pint, dropping in to visit his many friends. It didn't take much to encourage him to burst into song or recite a poem. He had a true zest for life, and his positive energy, and

Irish sparkle, was appreciated by everyone he met.

A Funeral Mass was held on Tuesday, Nov. 18 , 2014 at

Our Lady of the Rockies Parish, Sacred Heart Catholic Church

followed by a gathering at the Canmore Legion.

Sincere thanks to Dr. J Michalyshyn, the Canmore Hospital and

Bow River Lodge for such wonderful care and support. And to all of you to reached out to give Sean a helping hand over the years, you know who you are.

In lieu of flowers, donations to Bow River Lodge, Bow Valley Regional Housing, 920 - 13th Street, Canmore AB T1W 1W1

Services provided by Russ Reynolds and Bow River Funeral Service.