Obituary of Donald Alexander Wilson

Donald Alexander Wilson 1940 ~ 2015 Donald Alexander Wilson was born August 9, 1940 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He was the oldest child and only son of Alex and Florence Wilson. His mother contracted TB and so most of his first year of life he was cared for by his Aunt Peggy and Aunt Agnes. He remained their "Donny" throughout the rest of their lives. The family then moved to Agassiz, B.C. before finally settling in Abbotsford. Don began preparing for a life surrounded by women with the arrival of sisters Marion and Heather. Two events had a major impact on his early years. At 12, his mom passed away suddenly. That was devastating to a boy who was very close to his mother as his dad was often away from home as a traveling evangelist. At the age of 14, his new mom, Beulah, took him in to North Vancouver to a series of gospel meetings Mr. William Williams was giving. One night he was given a tract to take home and stayed up late that night reading it. He put his trust in Jesus Christ then and chose to spend his life following Him. His step-mom brought him an older sister, Freda, and a baby sister, June, completing the family in 1955. Don loved his step-mom very much and she told Fay that he had been a sweet and loving son from the day she married his dad. Although his dad was often away for weeks at a time, they were very close and the family was just reading some of the letters his dad had sent him over the years. In his younger years, the letters ended with "love daddy" and always 10 kisses. Don graduated from Abbotsford Sr. High and went to work at Sears in Vancouver for a couple years. Looking for new adventures, he headed to the Peace Country with his dad. In Dawson Creek, he found a job at City Hall and a lovely young lady named Ella. Their first date was a singalong at the Heppner home and Ella seemed more impressed with 5 year old Ben Heppner's voice than Don's. He managed to win her over and they were married on Dec. 29, 1962. The southern relatives and friends in attendance weren't quite prepared for the -40 temperatures. His dad performed their ceremony (his first) and was probably as nervous as the groom. In October of '63, Fay was born and for a short time the family moved to Prince George with Don's job. Dawson Creek beckoned and they returned. In 1964, Gale became a member of the family, then Penny and Lorry joined and finally Dawn was born. The family was complete and Don was once again surrounded by women though Lorry added another male presence to the home. Before his marriage and for most of his life Don was involved in starting Sunday Schools in some rural areas. Sunrise Valley, Kilkerran, and Tower Lake were some of these and dear to his heart. He was the pastor of an Awana club for years and often preached on Sundays as well as doing his regular job. Don and Ella made their home one whose foundation was the Word of God. There was never any doubt where the Wilsons would be Sunday morning, evening, and at least one week night for Bible study. They believed the most important gift they could give their children was a knowledge of the God of the Bible and prayed for their salvation regularly. For many years, Don worked for School District #59, once again surrounded by women. In 1981, he was given the opportunity to start his own bookkeeping business and then purchased the answering service. This was the advent of Bemaray and the Bemaray girls. This was probably the most enjoyable work period in his life. Having a 24/7/ 365 day a year company was a lot of responsibility, but over the years there were many staff members who became extended family. Don enjoyed telling jokes and making the girls laugh. There were many special memories made and friendships forged and everyone is still trying to find out the identity of GLORIA. Don had the opportunity to travel to Alaska, Hawaii, Costa Rica and Japan as well as go on several cruises. Six Japanese students stayed in the home over the years and several still keep in touch. Don sold the business in 2003 due to failing health. Although getting around got more difficult, he found many things to enjoy during retirement. He was able to spend more time studying his Bible, learning computer programs, and researching and writing the book he had always wanted to. Most of us were surprised to find him writing a western mystery. Obviously he had a secret desire to be a cowboy! He also renewed his interest in chess and he and Jerry Nicholson spent many an hour playing together while their wives perused the garage sales. Don still loved music and enjoyed the many people who came there to entertain. His one regret that he spoke of often was not being able to read his Bible any more due to small print. During this last year of his life, he would often speak of his parents and say that his father was one of the wisest and best men he had ever known. He also would mention his mothers and sister, Freda; his thoughts were with those who were waiting for him to join them in heaven. Many hours were spent singing in his hospital room as Ella, Dawn, Fay, Christine, George and others sat with him. He would sometimes join in until the day before his death, even singing harmony. He slipped quietly away while Ella and Dawn were singing one of his favorites, "How Deep the Father's Love for Us." Fay and Dawn have asked me to say a few words on their behalf: Dad was a gentle, quiet person. He was not overly social, but loved to sit down one on one and get to know people. His closest friendships, some from his childhood days lasting through today, were based on common interests in spiritual things. If he hadn't married mom, he might have been a bit of a recluse, happily content to stay at home with his books, piano, and stereo. But he married a Rattliffe. He was happy to open his home to others, fellowshipping over meals, singing around the piano and trying to stump us with riddles. We can't even guess at how many people came and went through the doors of our parent's home, but they were always welcomed warmly and made to feel at home. Both of us got to know him as an employer as well. We saw how much he cared for the staff and tried to be the best boss he could. After realizing one of his staff could not afford to pay for medical, he looked into getting a benefits package for the company. He always placed people before profit. Dad had a great sense of humour, rather dry, and he loved to tease. He loved to play games with us when we were young, ping-pong and Risk in particular. He had a competitive streak and you didn't get to win because you were young. When all five of us were home, doing dishes after dinner was a two person job and he often sat and played the piano and had us sing with him as we worked. It's hard to get an argument going when your mouth and brain are occupied elsewhere. He was a suit and tie wearing man. You'll notice the coffin cover is unusual. We used a few of his ties to make this. Thanks to Gwen for making Dawn's idea a reality. Chocolate was his favorite food group. He had the wisdom to marry a great cook and baker and loved his sweets. We sometimes questioned his fashion sense, but were always proud to be the daughters of Don Wilson. The plastic cowboy boots are long gone and now today we bury that famous tie. He was a true gentleman, always modest, expressing thanks, polite and considerate right up to his last days. We will miss our quiet, caring father. His legacy to us is one of love and an example of how to live a life that has eternal value. Service 1:00 pm Tuesday, July 7, 2015 Bergeron Chapel 10200-17th Street DAWSON CREEK, British Columbia, Canada V1G 4C2 Interment Brookside Cemetery 108 ave DAWSON CREEK, British Columbia, Canada