Hope was born in Scotland, and married Peter McDermott of Donegal, Ireland. She and Peter became the proud parents of twelve children, of whom John is the ninth. They moved from Scotland to Canada in 1965.
Peter McDermott, John's mentor and greatest musical influence passed away in 1995; John memorializes his parents onstage at each performance with his father's cap and cane and his mother's scarf. John often says that he inherited his dad's voice, and his Mom's good looks - clearly John and his brothers and sisters inherited much more than that.
John has asked that friends make donations to
The Hope McDermott Fundc/o Bunnygee Music Inc.
500 Avenue Road
Toronto, Ontario M4V 2J6
The Hope McDermott Fund will become the foundation through which John hopes to initiate and support projects like the McDermott House in other cities throughout the U.S. and Canada.
"Mothers teach you courage and compassion, dignity and humility in equal measure," says John. "I can think of no better way
to honor my own mother than to remember
her through building awareness and compassion for people who have served, and in many cases, shown great
courage, and now find themselves against
odds greater than any wartime enemy."
Peter and Hope McDermott
hope mcdermott day program center at the
new england shelter for homeless veterans
On October 12, 2000 John dedicated the opening of The Hope McDermott Day Program Center, a newly constructed annex of the New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans, named in honor of Johnís mother, Hope, who passed away in January, 2000. The goal of the Hope McDermott Day Program Center is to reach out to veterans who are chronically homeless and who are the ěhardest to serviceî of the homeless veterans.
The Day Program Center will provide counseling and living-skills instructions to these veterans, as well as make sure that their basic needs (food, clothing, health care) are satisfied.p>It is a unique opportunity to fill a gap between the transitional services that the New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans currently provides and needs of chronically homeless veterans.
Hope McDermott's legacy is humility, service, compassion, and courage. She was not famous, and did not receive great public acclaim during her life, but true service is not boastful. Her passing in January of 2000 inspired her son John, the ninth of her proud family of twelve children, to formalize his organization in his mother's name - The Hope McDermott Fund.
John realized that his seemingly infinite work ethic, his great success as a performer, and the balancing force of his keen sensitivity to the happiness and well-being of others, were all a direct result of Hope McDermott's Nurturing hand.
John's special dedication to veterans
also came as a result of his mother's influence. She recognized that the
health and good fortune her own family enjoyed were in no small way ensure by
the supreme sacrifice of her brother, Michael Griffin, in Bataan, and the
courageous service of her husband, Peter McDermott in the Royal Air Force during
World War II.
The importance of honoring sacrifices of those, like Michael, who did not return,
and [reserving the dignity of those, like Peter, who served and returned home,
became a chief cause of Hope McDermott's life. The Hope McDermott Day
Program Center symbolized those values, and also pays special tribute to those wives,
mothers, sister, and daughters, who may never have worn a uniform, but whose humility,
service, compassion, and courage, equaled that of the most decorated soldier,
and played just as important a role in the preservation of our freedom.
At the opening ceremony, John presented a check for $17,355.70 to the Day Program Center which represents the total funds collected to date from the Hope McDermott Fund which is funded entirely by donations from John's fans around the globe.
John presenting a check for $17,355.70 from the Hope McDermott Fund to the Hope
McDermott Day Program
Center at the New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans
at the opening celebration
Pictured (left to right):
John McDermott; Tom
Kelley, Commissioner of Veterans Services for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts;
Tom Mattarazo, Commissioner of Veterans Services for the City of Boston; and
NESHV Executive Director, Thomas J. Lyons
The unveiling
of the plaque honoring Hope McDermott at the opening ceremonies
for the Hope McDermott Day Program Center at the New England Shelter for
Homeless Veterans