Kentville, NS
May 24, 1941 - November 18, 2024
Born in Preston, Ontario on May 24, 1941, Cyrus Shantz "Cy" MacLatchy was a son of Frank and Margaret (Shantz) MacLatchy. He and his brother, Edward "Red", grew up near the old P.E. Shantz Foundry. One of Cy’s fondest childhood memories was roaming the fields with his dog, Daisy.
Cy was a physics professor at Acadia University, and also served as the Dean of Science and Vice-President Academic. He saw physics not just in the cosmos, but in the entire natural world. When encountering a new problem to solve in everyday life, his eyes would light up and he’d say, "that’s just physics". He loved both teaching and research and was never happier than when his students went on from Acadia to further their own studies.
Cy had fun visiting and revisiting scenic spots on the Nova Scotia shores. He knew almost every byway and back road and was famous for taking ‘short cuts’ that could lead to somewhere unexpected. He thrived outdoors, and enjoyed flower gardening, kayaking and hiking, and last trekked to Cape Spilt at the age of 79. He could repair almost anything around the house and many of his temporary fixes ended up lasting decades. "What would Dad do?" was the most common refrain in the family whenever anyone embarked on a household repair project of their own. He collected old maps and found pleasure in art that depicted the Maritimes. He was an avid reader of scientific literature as well as science fiction and mystery novels, and was a whiz at Sudoku. He enjoyed passing on his love of Canadian football to his daughters and became a soccer fan when his grandkids took up the sport. He was entertained by cats Nicky and Jag, who were an integral part of the family.
His beloved family meant the world to him. He met his wife, Ann Marie (Robinson), during his first year at Acadia. Over summer vacations they wrote to each other almost every day. For 61 years of marriage they were hardly apart. He was enormously proud of his daughters, Deborah, Laura and Heather. His grandchildren Karamoja, Alexa, Joseph, Sean, and JJ brought him great joy. It is difficult to describe the depth of his connection and loving concern for the happiness of his children and grandchildren. He grew to know and admire his sons-in-law, Bill, John and Prasanna, and to care deeply for his step-grandchildren, Jaide, Rohan, Kay and Cole.
He will be missed by his sisters-in-law, Ann and Lynda; his nieces, Margaret, Claire, Mary and Cynthia, and nephews, Ian, Mark, Keith and Stephen. Sadly, brother Red and his wife, Patty; niece Kelly; brothers-in-law, Clair, Ralph and Alden; and sister-in-law, Phyllis are no longer with us.
Cy left us on November 18, 2024. He will forever be a part of us.
As the Irish adage says, ‘We shall not see his like again’.
In accordance with his wishes, there will be no visitation or service, but a celebration of his life will take place in the summer for friends and family. Donations in Cy’s memory may be made to the Wolfville Area Food Bank or Valley Regional Hospital - ICU.
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