With hearts that are shattered, after a brief illness we had to let Don go to reunite with his dad Fred.

 

He leaves behind his wife Carla, daughters Avery & Kiera, son in law Mike, Mom – Rose, brother Bill (Joanne) and sister Diane (Bill) and brothers & sisters in laws Doug & Darseen, Randy & Susan, Rick & Jerri and tons of nieces & nephews.

 

Don lived in Glenella for all his early years forming a strong friendship with his across the tracks neighbor, Kelly. They had many adventures together that got more dramatic as they got old enough to drive. They visited many ditches in a variety of vehicles!

 

Don inherited his love for vehicles from his dad. (Which he passed onto Kiera) Fred loved his Fords, and this transferred to Don who had a Ford Mustang infatuation for many years. From his first mustang to his pride & joy Mach 1, he lived and breathed Mustang. The story that we often tell is the time when Rose noticed her cookie sheets missing. After some investigation, she found that Don had used them to reinforce the rusty floorboards in his first Mustang!  Carla had wanted to name their second daughter Shelby, but Don said no as he didn’t want everyone to think that she was named after a car!

 

From the tricycle he was riding when he got his foot caught between the train track rails to his dirt bike where he was dubbed the “flying nun” (because of his hair), Don loved all things with wheels.

 

Don followed his dad’s footsteps by working with CN rail but then got enthused with electronics and satellite TV. He travelled north to Tuktoyaktuk to install satellite systems as well as installed many systems in apartment complexes in Winnipeg. He worked with numerous companies in this pioneer industry.

 

He eventually ended up working at Stony Mountain Penitentiary in various capacities but really enjoyed his time in the works department where he worked directly with inmates. He made an impression with staff there as even after being gone for 5 years, people are asking about Don. The flag at the penitentiary was lowered on Monday in his memory.

 

Don loved his daughters Avery & Kiera! Whether it was taking them on their very first train ride, unpackaging their Barbie dolls at Christmas, sitting around the campfire when camping, playing trains & cars, snowmobiling, or teaching them how to ride bikes, he was always there for them.  When he had to be away for work one year on Valentines Day, he had ordered them big Valentine’s helium balloons that they had so much fun with.  Fred had built each of his kids a wooden picnic table. When Avery & Kiera were little, Don used the wood from the table to build a sand box for them. With the help of Kelly & Marg, he built a really fun play structure around the sandbox that was used for years.

 

Don wasn’t great at carpentry or home repair, but he did his best. What he was fantastic at was anything electronics! Our basement had more cables & wires than a commercial building! Every room in the house was connected to satellite TV. The kitchen, living room and even his garage were wired for sound! He had CD stackers, mixers, speakers – all the stuff.  He was a bit ticked when I wouldn’t let him put TV or music out on our screened in deck.  In younger years, his brother Bill, brother-in-law Bill P. and Don all got together to make their own sets of home speakers.

 

Don had always wanted a dog as a child but never was able to have one. When Kiera saw a poster at school with puppies to give away, it was hard to tell who wanted a pup more – Don or the girls. So along came our dear Mellow. Don was devastated when she passed away after 12 years of being in our family. Kiera adopted Chelsea from the Humane Society and even though she was a tough cookie, we all warmed up to each other and Don loved her so much. When Mike’s Oakley came into our lives, Don was in dog heaven!

 

Pryor Family gatherings were something that Don enjoyed - be it Christmas, celebrating many birthdays or gatherings at Big Valley.  The only exception was one of the first Pryor reunions in Saskatchewan. Pink Floyd was coming to Winnipeg – a once in a lifetime opportunity that was the same weekend. Don had resigned himself to the fact that he wouldn’t be able to see them but when we met all the incoming concert trucks on our way to Saskatchewan, it made for a tense weekend!  Christmas Eve & mornings at his moms were always a blast with his brother & sister and their families. As family dynamics changed, Rose started coming to our place for the Christmas holiday season.

 

Don enjoyed cucumbers from the garden and Carla started seeds and grew plants in pots. This year we grew a record number of cucumber plants and with the gorgeous weather he was able to enjoy some homegrown cucs in vinegar. Sadly, he wasn’t able to enjoy the green and yellow beans that just weren’t quite ready.

 

Don will be interred at a private family service.  A celebration to remember Don will be planned for this summer.

 

Carla, Avery, Kiera, Mike & Rose would like to express their gratitude to the team at MICU at HCS as well as to Dr. Lin Yang (hematology) for their tireless efforts to find a solution to Don’s complex challenges.

 

Darrel, Deb, Christa & Francesca – you rocked his nursing care – attended to Don with precision and compassion and treated us with the utmost kindness and sensitivity.  We are so grateful.

 

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Adult Intensive Care Fund at the HSC Foundation in honour of Don and the amazing care that he received in the ICU.