Obituary for Donald James Wilkinson
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"Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.’” John 11: 25-26
It is with sad hearts that we announce the sudden passing of Donald James Wilkinson on August 5, 2023. Don would not want us to grieve long as he was always full of life. He would want us to embrace our new reality confident that this is not the end, and it is not a goodbye but just a temporary separation until we see him again.
Don was a man of faith; his love of God and belief in Jesus unshakeable. He did not “wear it like a coat” as he was of the belief that faith was a part of who you are and not “something to display on Sunday.” We are held up in our grief that Don is truly home now.
And by going home he is with all those that went before that he missed so much: his beloved wife and best friend of 34 years, Pam; his loving parents, Pastor Tom and Gloria; his beloved Aunties, Astrid, Olga, Myrtle and Sylvia; his uncles, Lloyd, Jim, Charlie, and Larry; his childhood friend, Joe Nickel; his horse loving cowboy, Joe Haywood; and last but never least, his beloved horse, Mack, and his dogs Laddie, Rosco and Muffin.
Don’s full life leaves behind a large extended family to remember and continue to love him all their days: his wife, Linda; his older brother, Terry (Wanda); his Auntie Agnes; his cousins, Pat (Donny), Dave (Cathy), Barry (Giselle) and Joyce; his children, Ken (Jane), Kathie and Roger (Sandi); his stepchildren, Terry (Brent), Irene (Kevin) and Patrick; his many grandchildren, Lindsay (Mike); Mitchell (Nikki), Andrew, Donny, Morgan (Anthony), Christopher, Holly (Eddie), Melissa (Tyler), Chase, Jake, Aaron, Pheonix, Amy (Benjamin), Jessica, Elisabeth and Rachel, and numerous great-grandchildren.
Don was a cowboy through to his soul. He spent the majority of his life as a long-haul truck driver and when not on the road there was nothing he loved more than riding his beloved Mack and helping friends with their farms or whatever else a friend needed doing. He eventually settled into retirement, trading his 18 wheels for the 4 wheels on a golf cart.
He could not abide “whining” and laziness. Prejudice and lack of common sense were also things that frustrated him. In his mind, God gave us all brains so we should apply them, and he made us all in his image so hating anyone was basically hating God. He firmly believed that if you wanted something you needed to figure out what you had to do to earn it. Don was not a highly educated man, but a smarter man you would never have known. If you met him you would know a man that loved his family and friends deeply but was not one to show much emotion. He always had a ready smile and a dry wit humour ladened with sarcasm. He was often referred to as “a character” and it is because of who he was that he will be remembered and missed.
One of Don’s proudest accomplishments was taking on Canada Revenue Agency regarding the allowable meal allowance for long haul truck drivers, especially cross-border truckers. He was able to prove to the Court that the “policy” was not the “law” and an arbitrary number tossed out by then Minister of Finance, Paul Martin, was not tax law. He ingeniously used the daily food allowance for a Canadian Civil Service Worker as his “reasonable amount”. The Judge agreed. Highway Star dubbed him “the Tax Man.” His case was the one that sparked the issue that eventually led to the Canadian Federal Government making it easier for long haul truck drivers to claim more for their meal expenses.
Although he is not a physical presence in our lives, the things that made him most memorable are the things he left in our hearts.
In lieu of flowers, you may make donations to his favourite charities: Turtle Valley Donkey Refuge; Children Believe; or any of your local animal shelters and rescues.
.
"Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.’” John 11: 25-26
It is with sad hearts that we announce the sudden passing of Donald James Wilkinson on August 5, 2023. Don would not want us to grieve long as he was always full of life. He would want us to embrace our new reality confident that this is not the end, and it is not a goodbye but just a temporary separation until we see him again.
Don was a man of faith; his love of God and belief in Jesus unshakeable. He did not “wear it like a coat” as he was of the belief that faith was a part of who you are and not “something to display on Sunday.” We are held up in our grief that Don is truly home now.
And by going home he is with all those that went before that he missed so much: his beloved wife and best friend of 34 years, Pam; his loving parents, Pastor Tom and Gloria; his beloved Aunties, Astrid, Olga, Myrtle and Sylvia; his uncles, Lloyd, Jim, Charlie, and Larry; his childhood friend, Joe Nickel; his horse loving cowboy, Joe Haywood; and last but never least, his beloved horse, Mack, and his dogs Laddie, Rosco and Muffin.
Don’s full life leaves behind a large extended family to remember and continue to love him all their days: his wife, Linda; his older brother, Terry (Wanda); his Auntie Agnes; his cousins, Pat (Donny), Dave (Cathy), Barry (Giselle) and Joyce; his children, Ken (Jane), Kathie and Roger (Sandi); his stepchildren, Terry (Brent), Irene (Kevin) and Patrick; his many grandchildren, Lindsay (Mike); Mitchell (Nikki), Andrew, Donny, Morgan (Anthony), Christopher, Holly (Eddie), Melissa (Tyler), Chase, Jake, Aaron, Pheonix, Amy (Benjamin), Jessica, Elisabeth and Rachel, and numerous great-grandchildren.
Don was a cowboy through to his soul. He spent the majority of his life as a long-haul truck driver and when not on the road there was nothing he loved more than riding his beloved Mack and helping friends with their farms or whatever else a friend needed doing. He eventually settled into retirement, trading his 18 wheels for the 4 wheels on a golf cart.
He could not abide “whining” and laziness. Prejudice and lack of common sense were also things that frustrated him. In his mind, God gave us all brains so we should apply them, and he made us all in his image so hating anyone was basically hating God. He firmly believed that if you wanted something you needed to figure out what you had to do to earn it. Don was not a highly educated man, but a smarter man you would never have known. If you met him you would know a man that loved his family and friends deeply but was not one to show much emotion. He always had a ready smile and a dry wit humour ladened with sarcasm. He was often referred to as “a character” and it is because of who he was that he will be remembered and missed.
One of Don’s proudest accomplishments was taking on Canada Revenue Agency regarding the allowable meal allowance for long haul truck drivers, especially cross-border truckers. He was able to prove to the Court that the “policy” was not the “law” and an arbitrary number tossed out by then Minister of Finance, Paul Martin, was not tax law. He ingeniously used the daily food allowance for a Canadian Civil Service Worker as his “reasonable amount”. The Judge agreed. Highway Star dubbed him “the Tax Man.” His case was the one that sparked the issue that eventually led to the Canadian Federal Government making it easier for long haul truck drivers to claim more for their meal expenses.
Although he is not a physical presence in our lives, the things that made him most memorable are the things he left in our hearts.
In lieu of flowers, you may make donations to his favourite charities: Turtle Valley Donkey Refuge; Children Believe; or any of your local animal shelters and rescues.
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