Jack Mackeen Fairweather

April 28, 1955 – April 27, 2025

Just one day shy of his 70th birthday, Jack Mackeen Fairweather of Summit, NJ, passed away peacefully in the company of his wife and daughters.

Jack was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on April 28, 1955, son of the late Jack Lee Fairweather and M Faith Baxter Fairweather, and older brother to siblings Tim, Sarah, and Andrea. Jack spent his childhood summers with family at The Farm Camp on the banks of the St. John River in New Brunswick, Canada, where he developed a love for fishing and swimming, hobbies he continued to pursue throughout his life.

At age ten, Jack moved with his family to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and then to Lewisburg, where he attended high school and Bucknell University. There, fate and jobs at the university theater led him to meet Gari Demas on March 11, 1978. Sparks flew, and after a few years of joy, love, and motorcycle rides, they married on October 24, 1981.

In 1988, Jack and Gari landed on West End Avenue in Summit, NJ, where they raised two daughters, Trish and Carly, and collected dogs like some people might collect stamps. Their home was one filled with laughter, music, a little bit of chaos, a lot of dog hair, and gadgets in the garage that could solve any problem.

Jack enjoyed Sunday rides with Gari on their Harley Davidson—a 2006 Heritage Softail Classic—and in December, would ride through town wearing a Santa hat and beard, much to the delight of those lucky enough to spot him. He had a fondness for walks in the woods and “up the dump hill” with his dogs, where he’d often stop to chat with the city employees who quickly became friends. Retirement brought more opportunities for tinkering in the garage, meticulously pruning the Magnolia tree in the front yard, and cheering on his grandsons at sporting events and concerts.

Most recently, Jack served as a crossing guard, which gave him the perfect platform to hold court with neighborhood families, dogs, and anyone lucky enough to wander by. He took the job seriously—except for when he didn’t—and kids adored him for it.

Despite living in the U.S. for most of his life, Jack never stopped waving the Canadian flag. He proudly wore his red-and-white knit maple leaf toque on every walk and would sing "O Canada" at full volume whenever the anthem played before a hockey game.

Jack is survived by his beloved wife Gari, daughter Trish Cody and her husband Dominick, daughter Carly and her partner Sean Lenahan, grandsons Bennett and Griffin Cody, sister Andrea Landry and her family, stepmother April Fairweather, stepsister Alisa Fairweather, and sister-in-law Kate Fairweather and her family. He’ll also be fondly remembered by the extended Demas family.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his siblings Tim and Sarah, and dogs who were such an important part of his life that he would have wanted them acknowledged here: Jill, Tig, Penny, Tricky, Tanner, Amber, Toby, Tyson, Timber, and Oby. His legacy will live on in his daughters and grandchildren, but also in every snowblower that starts on the first try, every dog who gets the left-over pizza crust, and every kid who learned to ride a bike or drive a manual transmission with a little push and a lot of encouragement from Mr. Fairweather.

In lieu of flowers, Jack would ask that you fix something for your neighbor, wave at your crossing guard, or—at the very least—put air in your tires before your next road trip. You may also consider a donation to the Summit Volunteer First Aid Squad or St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center in Jack’s honor.

In keeping with Jack’s wishes, there will be no official service, but the family plans to host a celebration of life at a later date and would love to read your shared memories on Jack’s memorial page www.memorialsource.com/memorial/jack-mackeen-fairweather