Obituary of James Malcolm Hovey

It is with great sadness that the family of James “Jim” Malcolm Hovey announce his passing which occurred on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, at the Dr. V. A. Snow Centre, Hampton, NB. Born in Saint John, NB on February 15, 1936, he was the son of the late Malcolm and Violet (McKinney) Hovey.

Jim was very active in the community. He was on the town council for three terms as deputy mayor and five terms as mayor for a total of 25 years of service.

He had a passion for volunteering in the community, from minor hockey to the curling club, the Senior’s Resource Centre, and the Rotary Club of Hampton.

He saw Hampton grow from a village to a town. Projects like the community theatre and the town square were very special to him. He also volunteered for the Hampton Fire Department.

He was awarded the Sovereign Medal for volunteer service for 2015. This was awarded by the Governor General in Ottawa. The town of Hampton created a local award in his name. The James Hovey Civic Service Award recognizes local community volunteers.

Jim worked for over five decades in the insurance industry starting with Allstate in the 1960s. In the early 1980s, he formed his own agency, Hovey Insurance, located in Hampton. In the late 1990s, his son, Jon, joined Hovey Insurance and they worked together for many years.

Jim could be found having coffee with friends at the Kozy Korner or Friday night get-togethers at Snow’s Hardware. He enjoyed hunting and fishing trips and getting to go to curling bonspiels with his friends. Above all, he was a devoted family man. He loved his wife and children and especially his grandchildren.

A special thank you to the staff at the Dr. VA Snow Centre for their compassion and care, and to his long-time caregivers, Jean and Evelyn.

Jim is survived by his children: Jeff Hovey (Joanne Meng) of Ottawa, ON, Jennifer Legere (Marianne Duncan) of Nauwigewauk, NB and Jon Hovey (Krista) of Hampton, NB; grandchildren: Ben, Daniel, Matthew, Kaitlyn, Brandon, Ethan and Caroline; brothers: Phillip Hovey of Saint John, NB and Bill Hovey (Rosalyn) of Moncton, NB; as well as several nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, Jim was predeceased by his loving wife Joyce Hovey (Hodder).

Arrangements have been entrusted to Reid’s Funeral Home (506-832-5541), 1063 Main Street, Hampton, NB where visitation will be held on Saturday, March 23, 2024, from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8PM. A private interment will be held at a later date at Bloomfield Baptist Cemetery.

Donations in memory of Jim may be made to the  Hampton High School Scholarship and Bursary Foundation. The funds can be directed to: hhsscholarshipandbursary@gmail.com (In the note section state: James Hovey scholarship)

 Personal condolences to the family and charitable donations may be made through: ReidsFH.com