Lawrence "Laurie" Duncan MacDonald

“Seeing is believing.” For many, those words simply represent a motto. But for Lawrence Duncan MacDonald, it summarized in every way who he was. He was modest, quiet and observant, taking in everything around him and always thinking before acting. He was a realist, someone who was efficient and practical in everything he did. He was a friendly person who truly cared about those around him.

       He was the son of Jean and Duncan. Because Laurie was born into a military family, he was raised early on in Nova Scotia and moved westward. He was brought up to be tolerant and trustworthy. As a child, he learned to be conscientious, responsible and punctual. These were all traits that he would carry with him throughout his life.

      As a young boy, Laurie was always aware of how others around him felt and this quality served him well. With a deep capacity to tolerate the feelings of others, Laurie was generally able to avoid conflicts. It seemed as if Laurie was the family member who was always working to keep stress at bay. Preferring a quiet environment where he could concentrate, Laurie also had the ability to relate well with his family and friends. Laurie was raised with one brother and three sisters. They were Don, Cathy, Lee (Pinky) and Faye ann. Laurie was constantly involved in activities with his family. Laurie and his siblings had the typical rivalries while growing up but they deeply cared for each other and shared many life experiences over the years.

      Growing up, Laurie was one of those children who didn’t need to be in the center of a whirlwind of activity. He was content to entertain himself. Laurie was never pushy when it came to games and other activities, but rather, he was able to enjoy the pure fun these could bring. In just about everything he did as a child, Laurie was intent on pleasing both the adults and the other children around him. Laurie took part in a number of activities as a child. He took part in hockey and rugby and was a member of the Boy Scouts.

      Laurie had a good disposition for the challenges of college. He always enjoyed reading, so all of those lengthy required reading assignments seemed to be less of a burden for him. In fact, Laurie seemed to absorb and remember everything he read. Not all things came easily to Laurie, however, and he found success by being a diligent and accurate person who would dig into a project and work through until it reached its completion. He was very thorough and labored long and hard in order to reach his goals. He earned his Bachelor of Administration from University of Saskatchewan.

      Love can’t be defined but must be experienced. That was so true for Laurie. He was totally committed to Kay-Lynne and maintained traditional ideals about marriage. It was as if Laurie naturally sensed his spouse’s needs, and accepted those feelings unconditionally. Although Laurie disliked conflict, he did not take flight from discord, but rather sought to preserve harmony even during the most trying times.

      Laurie was a good father to his children. He had “old fashioned” parental values and could handle typical family conflicts in a fair and calm manner. Because he trusted emotions, Laurie was reluctant to force issues and used gentle persuasion to resolve situations. In this way he seemed to radiate an aura of warmth and caring to those around him, always thinking before acting. In addition, Laurie was a master planner. No matter how hectic life around him might be, he seemed to know and track everyone’s schedule. Laurie was blessed with fouir children, Shawn, April Lynne, Marnie and Leeann.

      If you gave Laurie a deadline, he would meet it. At work, Laurie was always on task. Without hesitation, Laurie could adhere to any assignment and see it through to its completion. His primary occupation was a land agent. He was self employed for many years at MacDonald Land Service and as restauranteer. During that time, Laurie excelled in working with small groups in order to complete assignments. He was able to quickly grasp concrete ideas and could organize and plan the best way to accomplish things with remarkable consistency. Laurie was good at staying on track and was considerate in listening to what others had to say. In this way, Laurie had a true gift for being able to come up with practical resolutions to difficult problems. He was often the team member who managed to put forth a win/win solution for all parties.

      Laurie liked to experience things first hand, in addition to simply learning about them. This quality influenced Laurie's choice of leisure time activities. A methodical and patient worker, Laurie preferred to set aside uninterrupted time to work on his hobbies. His favorite pursuits were fishing, golfing, bowling and walking. Laurie was content to sit quietly alone, enjoying his hobbies all by himself and could often be found just reading about his favorite pastimes.

      While thorough and measured in his approach to things, Laurie often liked to physically do things rather than just think about them. He was like that with sports. In high school, Laurie played hockey and rugby. In his college years, Laurie continued to stay active by playing hockey. Recreational sports included golf and bowling. He also enjoyed the statistical data and the facts behind the sports. In this way, he was something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite teams whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were hockey, curling, golf and football.

      Anyone who traveled or went on vacation with Laurie had smooth sailing. It was often taken for granted that he was the trip planner. He would start early and examine all of the possibilities, selecting the best and most effective options. Favorite vacations included going to Hawaii hands down.

      Laurie had Jack, a cat., who was his best friend for 6 years. Laurie was as loyal to his pet as it was to him.

      When Laurie's retirement finally arrived in 2008, he was well prepared. He had taken the time to learn about his various options and chose his course wisely. His new life involved relocating to Courtenay, BC. In retirement, he found new pleasure in fishing, mushroom picking, and walks with Kay Lynne. Even in retirement, Laurie continued to stay in touch with his old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. He was active in the community and felt fulfilled with the opportunities retirement offered him.

      Laurie passed away on September 6, 2018 in Courtenay, BC. Laurie died of natural causes brought on by COPD due to many years smoking. He is survived by Shawn, April Lynn, Marnie, Leeann and sister Faye ann. Laurie's cremated remains will be laid to rest at a later date.

      It is said that some people can’t see the forest for the trees. Laurie was able to focus on each individual tree, tending to its needs, thus making the forest stronger as a whole. Laurie was a trustworthy, pragmatic and sympathetic person, the kind of man to whom everyone was drawn. He was thorough and practical. Laurie MacDonald was very literal with his words. You always knew where you stood with Laurie. He will be missed.

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Lawrence (Laurie) Duncan MacDonald, aged 71, passed away on Wednesday, September 5, 2018 peacefully at home in his sleep. He was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia to proud parents Jean and Duncan. Born into a military family Laurie lived in Greenwood, Nova Scotia, Clinton, Ontario, Winnipeg, Manitoba and Middleton, Nova Scotia during his early years. In 1964, when Dunc retired from the RCAF, the family ended up settling in Calgary, Alberta.

He attended the University of Saskatchewan where he received his Bachelor’s degree. His first marriage gave him three beautiful daughters April-Lynn (Howard), Marnie (Brad) and Leeann (Scott). He lived and worked in Calgary before settling in Spruce Grove, Alberta in 1974, where he started his own company, MacDonald Land Services.

In 1980, Laurie met the love of his life Kay-Lynne and her son Shawn, who he went on to raise as his own son. In 1992 Laurie and Kay-Lynne decided they had enough of the Alberta snow and moved to Vancouver Island. They lived in both Coal Harbour and Courtenay where they were successful restauranteurs prior to their retirement.

Laurie always loved hockey and played on a team in Middleton when he was young. He lived for professional hockey and could not wait for the NHL season to start every year. He loved living on Vancouver Island where he had access to fresh caught fish right off the boat. He said it was what kept him healthy all those years. Laurie always used to say the rain didn’t bother him, you don’t have to shovel rain.

Laurie was predeceased by many loving family members including his father Dunc (1981), mother Jean (2011), brother Don (1989) and sisters Lee (Pinky) (1998) and Catherine (Cathy) (2017) as well as his wife of 28 years Kay-Lynne (2008). He will be sadly missed by his surviving family, his sister Faye-Ann, his daughters April-Lynn, Marnie and Leeann, nieces and nephews and other extended family and most of all, by his best bud and son, Shawn. A Memorial for close family will be held at Kin Beach and a Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. Memorial donations may be made to the Canadian Cancer Society British Columbia and Yukon Division Office (565 West 10th Avenue Vancouver, BC V5Z 4J4).