Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Joe Aguinaga

With full hearts and deep gratitude, we celebrate the long and love-filled life of Joe Aguinaga, who passed away peacefully at the age of 92. Known to many simply as “Joe A.,” he was a warm, kind, and endlessly capable man who touched the lives of everyone around him.

Joe came from strong roots. Like his father Bert and grandfather Mitchell/Miguel before him, he worked at the Sydney Steel Plant – part of a proud family tradition that began when his grandfather, a young Basque fisherman, journeyed from Spain to Cape Breton with his fiancée Matilda at the turn of the century.

Joe's working life took him from Cape Breton Printers to the Cape Breton Post, where he would spend the next 45 years as the go-to guy for all things fixable. As the Maintenance Manager and Building Superintendent, there wasn’t much Joe couldn’t repair or build – and he always did it with care and pride. He was the kind of person you could count on, whether it was a boiler or a broken chair.

Outside of work, Joe brought that same energy and love of life to everything he did. He was an enthusiastic bowler and proudly captained the Cape Breton Post team to victory at the 1965 Maritimes Newspaperman’s Championship. He loved a good project, always had tools in hand, and often said, “There’s a right way and a wrong way to do everything” – a value he passed onto his children and grandchildren.

Joe was a devoted Catholic and an active member of St. Joseph’s Parish, always lending a hand with fundraising or church events. But more than anything, Joe was a family man. A proud and loving father to five children, he led by example – with kindness, hard work, and a heart that had room for everyone. His grandchildren and great-grandchildren brought him endless joy, and he never missed a chance to beam with pride when talking about them.

He cherished his siblings, especially his breakfast dates with his sisters and visits from his brother Ehman. He was “that friend” that anyone would go to if they ever needed a hand. In later years, he found great companionship in his “High Street Boys” – a tight-knit crew of neighbourhood friends who meant the world to him.

Joe leaves behind a family who adored him: his daughter Jody (Greg) Moore; sons Johnny (Angela), Jayme (Donna), Jerry (Jane), and Joel (Tabitha) Aguinaga; grandchildren, Maddy, Stacey (Alfred) Bragg, Daniel (Michelle) Young, Tiffany, Jenna (Vicki), Tegan, and Mitchell Aguinaga; and great-grandchildren Max, Sam, and Ali Bragg, Cori and James Young, and Rori Aguinaga. He is also survived by his brothers Ehman and Gary (Candy), his sisters Sharon (Amos) and Bonnie Lee (Bill) LeBlanc, sister-in-law, Viola, and many beloved nieces and nephews.

He is reunited now with his wife Jean (Madore), his parents, and his sisters, Anne Marie, Juanita, and Karen, as well as his in-laws Florence, Evelyn, Dot, Eileen, Ruth, Harold, Beverley, and Arlene.

The family would like to thank the wonderful team at Maplestone Enhanced Care for the kindness and compassion they showed Joe in his final years.

Cremation has taken place, and a service to honour Joe’s life will be held Saturday 26 July 2025 at 11:00am in T.J. Cremation and Burial Specialists, 6 Churchill Drive, Sydney, NS B1S 0M5. For those unable to attend, livestreaming will be available and can be viewed by visiting the T.J. Tracey Facebook page. Interment(Chapel Service only) will follow at 2pm in the Chapel of Resurrection Cemetery, Sydney Forks, NS.

Memorial donations may be made to a charity of your choice. Words of comfort may be sent to the family at www.tjtracey.com

As Joe would often say with a smile and a wink,

“Had a little doll. Pinned it on the wall. And that’s all.”