Donald (Don) Stephen Layzell
January 4th 1926 – April 9th 2016
Don passed on quite peacefully at the last at Royal Jubilee Hospital Intensive Care ward April 9th in the company of his beloved daughter Betty-Lou and son in law Peter. He had a number of health issues complicated by his advanced age, but had been living independently and enjoying life and his many friends until the last two weeks of his life. Even then he retained his acute intelligence, sense of humour and stoicism in the face of suffering.
Don was born at Priddis Alberta and grew up during the dirty 30’s in very deprived circumstances. At 16 he traveled to Vancouver and fended for himself. When 17 he answered the call to arms and served with the Canadian Royal Air Force. He always maintained that was the best thing that had happened to him, except meeting his wife Hilda. When demobilized he took advantage of the Veterans university scheme and in spite of limited high school education by dint of hard work and native intelligence obtained his degree in teaching from UBC. He loved his career in teaching the young and many former students stayed in touch with him until after he retired. He married Hilda his wife of over 60 years April 3 1947.
Don will be remembered by his family and many friends for his intelligence, kindness, generosity, and always taking time to listen to whatever they had to say (unless there was a horse race about to start!)
He was a keen traveler who loved to research everything about his prospective destinations and maintained an insatiable curiosity about every aspect of them. Don and his wife visited their daughter in Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and Australia. He was able to check off a number of items from his bucket list in his last years by taking annual road trips with his Grandson DJ to Yellowstone National Park, the North West Territories, and Newfoundland, visiting his prairie relatives en route. He wanted his Grandson to know B.C. and they traveled every main road to do so. He loved watching his sports and was a keen football, hockey and golf fan and was watching the Masters on his last morning.
This much loved man will be greatly missed by his family and friends.