Donald Brett Hudson

Donald (Don, Donny) Brett Hudson (1954 - 2017). It is with heavy hearts that the family of Don Hudson announces his sudden passing on September 7th, 2017. Don suffered a tragic accident on September 4th and succumbed to his injuries three days later in hospital, surrounded by loved ones. He was 62 years old.

Don was predeceased by his parents Mervin Hudson (1969 Ogema) and Geraldine Hudson-Taylor (2015 Ogema). He is survived by his wife of nearly 44 years, Belinda (nee Morrow) of Cochrane, AB; brother Hugh (Donna) of Regina, SK; daughter Cheryl Selinger (Jaret) of Calgary, AB; and son Mark (Charlene) of Airdrie, AB; as well as five grandchildren – Caden and Brooklynn (Mark’s) and Hudson, Sully and Hazel (Cheryl’s). He will also be dearly missed by his many surviving in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Don was born on October 6, 1954 and enjoyed a wonderful childhood with his brother Hughie and friends on the family farm north of Ogema, SK. When Don was just 15 years old, he tragically lost his father, and farm life was suspended until he completed his Agriculture Diploma at the University of Saskatchewan. Thus began phase 2 of Don’s life. He married Belinda in 1973 and they bought the family farm. Cheryl and Mark entered the picture shortly thereafter. In the twenty years that followed, Don enjoyed a full and busy life with hockey, fastball, board positions with the Credit Union and the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool, volunteering in the community, managing the rink and, of course, his family and farming. By the mid-90s, the drought had hit Saskatchewan hard, and Don started taking seasonal jobs to keep the farm going.

In 2000 he and Belinda gave up the family farm and moved west to Cochrane to pursue opportunity, and to be close to their children, launching phase 3 of his life. Don enjoyed his last 15 years building his construction and irrigation company, and spending time with his growing family. He worked tirelessly renovating several of Cheryl’s and Mark’s houses in the off-season. In his downtime, he could often be found having a nap on the couch, puttering in his garage, fiddling at his computer, enjoying one of his grandchildren’s various sports, dropping in at Mark’s or Cheryl’s for a visit, or being dragged off on some adventure with Belinda.

Don was “one of the good ones” – a generous man, always willing to lend a helping hand, for anything, anytime. His help was endlessly valuable and appreciated - he was tough, brilliant and practical. Don was honest and full of integrity. He didn’t care about material things. He was a calming force and was always easy to be around. He will be missed.

A Memorial Service was held on Saturday, October 7th, 2017, 2-4 pm, at the Ogema Heritage Hall. A private celebration of Don’s life was held for friends and family. Donations in memory of Don may be made to the Ogema Recreation & Cultural Authority (ORCA), P.O. Box 159, Ogema, SK S0C 1Y0. Arrangements entrusted to Ross Funeral Service, Assiniboia, SK