With unspeakable sadness, the family of David Walter Douglas, announce his passing on Friday, June 22, 2018, at the age of 65, after a 3-year journey with cancer.David was born into a loving family on March 8, 1953.
He was the 4th son to Ivan and Margaret and an older brother to Jocelyn. He attended Green Acres School and Westmount; however, it was his time at Westgate High School that was foundational, where he played football, basketball, and track, and made life-long friendships that lasted into his final days. Right to the end, his football buddies and memories of Tiger championships were cherished, important parts of his life.
On September 14, 1974, he married his high school sweetheart, Linda Harapiak, and together they raised three wonderful children, Alexis, Ryan and Jamie, who were huge sources of pride for him. Most of his career was working in the car industry, including G. Figliomeni & Sons in Schreiber, at Intercity Ford Thunder Bay, and finally at Pinewood Ford Sales before he retired in 2013.
In retirement, he taught himself to play guitar and he took up an interest in art. His passions included music – especially the ‘70s music. He loved golf, was a fantastic cook and baker, and loved dressing up as Darth Vader at Hallowe’en; he even convinced the radiation staff at the hospital to have pictures taken of him dressed as Darth Vader in the CT and x-ray machines. His cancer journey was featured in the Cancer Chronicles in December 2016, the Man behind the Mask, and served as an inspiration to others.
In 2013, a trip to his roots in Northern Ireland fulfilled two lifelong dreams of meeting some of his Irish relatives and attending a Van Morrison concert just south of Belfast. David was a people person who was blessed with the gift of the gab long before he kissed the Blarney Stone! He tried to make a connection with every new person he met. If the measure of a man is the number of friends he has, David was a millionaire.The things that made him happiest were first and foremost his grandsons, bringing friends and family together over pasta dinners, telling stories of his teenage years and countless jokes (boy, could he remember a good joke), playing his guitar, recalling his football years at Westgate High School, and later, when he was diagnosed with cancer, bringing homemade biscotti and chocolate chip cookies to the wonderful staff at the Cancer Clinic.
His appointments and treatments at the Cancer Clinic always brought him joy, where he visited with staff, encouraged other patients dealing with cancer, and made some wonderful new friends along the way. He was diagnosed with cancer in May 2015; he faced cancer head on, with a positive attitude that was inspiring to watch. I’m going to show my kids how this is done!
He always felt that angels were around him and watching over him, and he wasn’t afraid to leave this world. To the Cancer Staff: you were our second family. We found out that not all superheroes wear capes. One of his best birthdays was his 64th when the Cancer Staff organized a Star Wars birthday party at the clinic. Your care and love, particularly on this day, blew him away. David and Linda were truly blessed with a wonderful and extensive circle of friends, who were constant sources of support, especially in David’s final months. The visits, the phone calls – local and long distance - and the food were constant reminders of the number of people who loved David.
David will be deeply missed by his wife of 43 years Linda (Harapiak), Alexis Bociurko (Jason), Ryan (Marnie), and Jamie (Hilary), and his grandsons Jackson, Talan, Colton, and Parker. His legacy will live on through his children and grandchildren. He is survived by his brothers Dean, Warren (Patricia), Terry (Jackie), and sister Jocelyn, and sisters-in-law Judy van den Ende and Rosanne Stasiewicz. He was a special Uncle David to numerous nephews and nieces and to their children. The family would like to thank Dr. Amir Faghih, Dr. Margaret Anthes, Dr. Geoff Davis, and ParaMed (especially Felicia and Pierre) for their care, and to WesWay for their respite services.
Friends and family are invited to attend services at the Exaltation of the Holy Cross Church, 415 W. Victoria Avenue. Prayers will be held on Wednesday, June 27th at 7:00 p.m. and a funeral service and celebration of David’s life will be on Thursday, June 28th at 11:00 a.m.
As David was very proud of his Irish heritage, everyone is asked, if possible, to wear a touch of something green. Memorial donations can be made to the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation – Northern Cancer Fund.
David lived the Westgate motto: Always, Only, the Best!
We want to tell you something, so there won’t be any doubt,
you’re so wonderful to think of, but so hard to live without.
