Donald McDONALD

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McDONALD: Donald Graham McDonald. It is with great sadness we announce the passing of our beloved father, grandfather and great grandfather Donald “Dan” McDonald on the evening of March 12th, 2016 at the Bayside Personal Care Home in Killarney, Manitoba. Dan had been a resident of the home since 2010 and had become seriously ill in the last three weeks prior to his passing. He was predeceased by his wife Mabel in 2002 as well as his brothers Neil, Angus, and Stuart and his sisters Jessie McDonald and Isabel Hamilton. He is survived by his sons and daughters in law: Malcolm (Theresa), Daryl (Arlene)and his daughter and son-in-law Marilyn (Alton Stewart). He also survived by his grandchildren Jacqueline (Micheal Bartley), Marissa (Derek Cuvelier), Stephanie (Kelly Cook), Donald and Graham. Dan had four great-grandchildren Brayden, Carter, Michaela, and Cole and a fifth great grandchild was on the way at the time of his death. Dan was born on August 3rd, 1916. He served in the Royal Canadian Air Force as an aircraft mechanic working on Lancaster bombers during World War II from 1943 until the conclusion of the war. After the war he held a number of jobs prior to purchasing a farm south of Ninette, Manitoba in the Bellafield district in 1953. He married Mabel (nee Worden) in 1956 and raised his three children on the farm which was a mixed operation of grain farming and livestock. In addition, after the closure of the one room school house at Bellafield in 1967 Dan operated a van he had purchased to transport the school aged children from the Bellafield district to their new elementary school in Ninette. Dan was active in the community serving as a board member for the Farmer’s Cooperative that ran the grain elevator in Dunrea. He was actively involved in the operation and maintenance of the Knox Presbyterian Church at Bellafield. Dad was the chairperson of the committee that authored and published a history of the Scottish Gaelic settler families of the Bellafield district. The history was prepared in 1988 to mark the 100 year anniversary of the establishment of the Scottish Gaelic settlements in the Bellafield district. Dad enjoyed writing as shown in his written contributions to the history of the Gaelic settlers. He loved curling and golfing and played those sports until he was 93 when a knee injury and developing dementia forced him stop playing his beloved sports. He enjoyed music – a love which was known to the staff of the Bayside Personal Care home where he would occasionally play his harmonica to the delight of the his fellow residents and staff. He was of the few remaining speakers of the Scottish Gaelic language in southwestern Manitoba. Although his mastery of the language waned in asy grew older – a few Gaelic words spoken to him in his later years would light up his face with obvious memories of his youth. Funeral Services to celebrate Dan’s life will be held at the Wheatland Chapel in Killarney, Manitoba on Friday, March 18th, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of the flowers the family requests donations in memory of our father, grandfather and great grandfather to the Bayside Personal Care Home in Killarney, Manitoba.Messages of condolence may be made online at www.wheatlandfs.comWheatland Funeral Service(204) 523-7791

As published in Brandon Sun on Mar 19, 2016