Obituary of John Collette

Collette, Larry “John” – Peacefully with his wife Gail and friend Geoff by his side, at Lennox and Addington County General Hospital in Napanee, Ontario on Saturday, August 16, 2025, just 4 days shy of his 60^th birthday.  John is survived by his loving wife Gail and fur babies Maddieline, Titi, Piper, Merlin and Oliver.

John was born in Toronto, raised in Cornwall, Ontario and spent most of his adult life in Saint John, New Brunswick before moving to Ottawa at the start of his military life. He joined the Royal Canadian Navy in 2000, where he became a Master Seaman in communications research. In 2006, he participated in a NATO Tour on HMCS Athabaskan. He then worked out of Leitrim and CFEWC in Ottawa before moving in 2010 for a 3-year Outcan posting to Buckley’s Airforce Base in Aurora, Colorado. In 2013, he was posted to Kingston, where he took on a position as a Signals Intelligence Specialist Instructor at the Canadian Forces School of Communications and Electronics (CFSCE).

In 2017, John retired from the military and went back to school, learning how to be a welder and later joining the Ironworkers Union Local 165.

John loved woodworking, gardening, working on the house, taking care of his chickens and thoroughly enjoyed the country life he and Gail had made for themselves. He loved music and always played it way too loud!

Church was a very important part of John’s life. He was always willing to lend a hand when needed. For a brief time, he ran the Sunday slide show and was very proud to do so. He was blessed to have many wonderful people in his life: Gary, Geoff, Gan, Chantal, Len, Tammy and Andrew; John considered many of his church friends as family. He had a special place in his heart for Gwenyth.

John will be missed by everyone whose life he touched.

John will be laid to rest at a private ceremony, to be followed by a celebration of his life at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Canadian Lung Cancer Association in John’s memory would be greatly appreciated.