August 14th, 1927 - March 10th, 2024
In his 97th year, Don passed away on March 10, 2024. He will be deeply missed by his children Andrew (Kathleen Dawson), Rory (Rebecca) and Reid (Susan Steele), cherished grandchildren Cameron (Sarah), Amanda (Kevin), Anna, Leah, Alec and Blair and great grandchildren Margaret and Lachlan. With the bagpipes now silent, Don will join his loving wife of 60 years Donna (née Hopper) who predeceased him in 2013.
Don was a farm boy (born in Elgin County, Ontario) and, in many ways, that never changed, even as he and his family grew and thrived in Chatham and Mississauga, followed by retirement in Fergus and Elora. But he went far beyond his agricultural roots, while becoming the first member of his family to earn a university degree (Ontario Agricultural College, 1951), successful in business (from feed salesman to Corporate Director with Maple Leaf Mills), engaged in community leadership (the list of service is long), well-travelled (flying Holsteins to Cuba got him hooked) and very musical (who takes up the bagpipes in their mid 50s?). The practical and defiant roots were always evident, as when he helped hide a stowaway on a freight train shipping cattle to Mexico; cleared the trees and built the family’s cottage on Six Mile Lake, without power tools; drove all through Italy with his high beams on (“These Italians are so friendly – they’re flashing their lights at us!”); turned every scrap 2x4 into something deemed useful; and got caught taking his family up the exit escalator of the Australian pavilion at Expo ’67, to avoid the long queues to see the kangaroos.
Some will not miss the bagpipes, but all will miss the kilted, stoic piper. Fortified by twice-daily forays to Tim Horton’s, the Presbyterian church on Sundays, and just the odd single malt, Don lived well past all other family of his generation and most friends, always with good humour, pride in his wife and family, and an opinion about every corn field he passed, even as dementia snuck up on him. The book he wrote about his life, The McAlpines of Elgin County, explains a lot (the discussion of aortic rupture in turkeys is gripping), but the strong hand shake and generous spirit say even more.
The family extends heartfelt thanks to the staff who provided excellent care for Don at Highland Manor in Fergus, Sunrise Unionville, Markham Stouffville Hospital, and most recently at Mon Sheong LTC in Stouffville.
A graveside service will be held at Belsyde Cemetery in Fergus at 1 pm on June 15, followed by a celebration of life at 1:30 pm at the Breadalbane Inn, 487 St Andrew St W in Fergus. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the OAC ‘51 Leadership Awards Fund (bit.ly/3vfpBO8), the Heart and Stroke Foundation, or the Alzheimer Society.
Arrangements entrusted to Graham A Giddy Funeral Home
