William David "Dave" Donaldson

Dave, as he preferred to be called, passed away peacefully on June 26th, 2025. He was predeceased by his parents William & Martha Donaldson and by his older sister Catherine along with his brother-in-law Don.

Dave is survived in his immediate family by his wife of 65 years, Deanna "Jill" Donaldson along with their children and their families: Scott & Marilyn with Graeme & Gill, Greg; Todd & Lizbeth with Alex; Carissa & Joe. As Dave never distinguished between immediate family and his extended one, we would like to make mention of all of his surviving cousins, nieces, and nephews in Canada and around the world!

Dave was born to Martha and Bill on April 9th 1936 on a farm near Penzance (SW 1/4-27-24-26-W2) Saskatchewan. He was their second child and enjoyed all the activities that growing up in rural Saskatchewan had to offer including having a pet sheep named Bunty that had the run of farm house and an obsession with sugar cookies.

The Donaldsons moved to Regina when Dave was a young teenager and he took to exploring all that the city had to offer with great enthusiasm. Dave found full time employment with SaskPower in 1954. He started out in the office working with blue prints, as he was gifted with a natural aptitude for drafting. He moved on to the role of ground tester working initially in the Regina/Chaplin/Moose Jaw areas.

Dave met and entered into a relationship with a wonderful young woman named Jill Mitchell. Their romance bloomed and they were married on September 12th 1959. Dave had become a qualified pipe fitter and he bid on a SaskPower job based in Kamsack Sk. with a promise to Jill that they would only be there for 5 years! It was there that Scott, Todd and then Carissa were born.

Dave was a natural storyteller and a very engaging person who took the time to speak with anyone who wished to talk to him. He made friends easily and was well known throughout the Kamsack community for his easy manner and genuine personality. These qualities helped him to effortlessly grow into his role as a husband and a father of three.

Dave was always there for his children and made an effort to provide as many wonderful experiences as possible for his family. Early on during the family's time in Kamsack Dave found a lot in a newly opened subdivision at the nearby provincial park: Duck Mountain. He chose lot 9 based on his birthday and with the help of his friends & in-laws built a small cozy cabin there. The Cabin, as it was known, was a place of many many memories which included numerous visits from his in-laws and extended family.

If Dave was the pillar on which the children grew the foundation for that pillar was Jill. She knew him so well that she could anticipate what he would say or do in most situations. They worked so well as parents and as a couple that they were able to grow closer throughout their sixty-five years of marriage. Whenever Dave would be too goofy or too rambunctious, she was always there to him keep grounded.

Dave was a very fun person to be around and would do his best to make sure that everyone was enjoying their time together. In many family gatherings he would sneakily employ his catch phrase "Let's Laugh!" and to the dismay of his children and grandchildren caught to close the ensuing laughter was utterly contagious.

Dave's deep love for his family saw him provide endless support to all of his children and their friends. This support included coaching and attending youth sports, supporting the local Boy Scouts club along with engaging in many family games such as cards or ping pong. One can never forget losing to Dave at ping pong after he utilized his Elvis hip shimmy serving technique or his braving the dangers of nut hockey with his grandkids.

Once the children had established themselves, he and Jill chose to move to Saskatoon where he worked as a foreman/supervisor before retiring from SaskEnergy in 1993. Post retirement Dave enjoyed family gatherings, golfing, Hilltops games and walks along Saskatoon's riverside paths. Dad's love of animals continued throughout his life with many pets and a wonderful opportunity to spend time with his grandson in a horse-riding program.

Recently, Dave was in Saskatoon's Hospitals where the care he received was excellent. The family wishes to make special mention of Laura and Tina members of St. Paul's Hospital Palliative care team along with the many others who provided care and compassion.

Dave requested that there should not be a remembrance service. He would appreciate it if those that knew him would please take the time to raise a glass of Coke with Rum or Vodka in a toast to his Family, to his Friends and to Him!