John Noble was born in Scotland and so was a sister, Frances. Their father, A. P. Noble, was a pharmacist by trade, but wishing to make a change, he came to Canada to try fruit farming at Creston. Upon arrival, he discovered there were no fruit trees planted as yet and realized that it would be six or seven years before any returns could be expected. With a wife and two children to support, he gave up that idea, and looked around for a business he could invest in. A drug store in Cranbrook named Beattie-Murphy, needed a pharmacist, so he came there. Later Murphy sold out his share to Mr. Noble and the store was named Beattie-Noble for many years.
John received most of his schooling in Cranbrook until he attended the University of Toronto where he studied electrical engineering. His first job was with the General Electric Company at Peterborough, Ontario.
He married Annie Moir of Cranbrook in 1929 and, shortly after, John began working for the Conpany in the Concentrator Electric Shop, When the Company opened up an apprentice training program to train young men, John was made the supervisor in charge of the apprentices, a position he held for many years. John and Annie had three sons, George, Bruce and Jack, and they lived in Chapman Camp. Unfortunately Annie was one of the victims of the 1952 polio epidemic.
In 1954, John married Margaret Jean (Marjean) McClure. Her parents were pioneers in the Cranbrook area in 1908 and later moved to Wycliffe in 1912.
John was a very community-minded person. When his boys were small, he devoted a great deal of time to the Boy Scouts. He was a member of the Medical Committee and he was on the School Board for eight years, acting as Chairman for the last four. He was on the Provincial Board of Trustees also. He was an ordained elder of the United Church and was chairman of the Building Committee when the new part of the Church was built. Both he and Marjean sang in the choir. Both enjoyed the outdoor life and were very fond of camping and hiking. They were members of the Alpine Club of Canada and the Skyline Hikers Club whose headquarters was in Banff.
They were both active in the East Kootenay Historical Association. John was President for a time and Marjean is the President now, in 1978. They also both skied and John always enjoyed the game of curling.
John retired from the Company in 1966 after thirty-five years of service. He passed away in 1975.
John's son, George, also became an electrical engineer and is now in Nanaimo. Bruce is a teacher of Industrial Arts in Penticton and Jack is a superintendent for a Construction Company in Vancouver. Like their father, they all enjoy curling and the grandsons are following suit.
Since John's demise, Marjean and a friend, Jean Iverson, have taken a trek through Nepal; back-packed through England and Scotland more than once; and, last summer they took a gypsy caravan trip in Ireland.
Marjean still resides in Chapman Camp.
