John Donald Foss Rowlatt

Don passed away peacefully on Monday, June 22nd, at the age of 82, in the care of the wonderful nurses and doctors at Lions Gate Hospital. Don will be missed greatly by family and friends, including his children Megan and Todd, his son-in-law Dave, and his grandson Owen.

He was a positive, cheerful, optimistic soul who loved being a university professor, loved baseball and curling, loved to gently tease, and most of all, loved his family. He had a wonderful sense of humour, which stuck with him until his final days, as he could easily and often brought a smile to his caregiver’s faces with well-timed jokes. He kept up with current affairs, always making a point of going out to pick up the newspaper. He was married for 40 years to his best friend, Geri, whom he lost 16 years ago.

Don was born in Carman, Manitoba, in 1944 to Larry and Janet Rowlatt. His dad was a bank manager, and so during his childhood he moved several times to different Prairie communities, including Flin Flon, Unity, and Swift Current. Don often shared stories of fun times living above the bank in the family accommodations, where he and his brother Bob would sometimes play ‘cops and robbers’ in the bank. He also often shared stories about constantly starting new schools, and how much he appreciated being seated at the back of his new classrooms.

After graduating high school, Don briefly attended the Royal Roads Military College, where he quickly realized that was not the life for him, and left to find a job as a bank clerk where he saved his money and then attended the University of Saskatchewan, where he earned a B.A. in Economics as well as a full scholarship to Princeton, where he earned his Ph.D.

In 1970, while teaching for a semester at the University of Alberta, Don met Geri and they married after only a few months. Together, they returned to New Jersey where Don finished his Ph.D. Don and Geri loved to spend time together, hosting dinners, enjoying time with friends, family, and their dog Pierre. After a few years back at the University of Saskatchewan teaching, Don and Geri settled in Ottawa, Ontario, where Don worked for the federal government. They had Megan in 1977 and then Todd in 1979. The family moved to Saskatchewan in 1980, living first in Regina, where Don worked for the provincial government, and then Saskatoon, where Don was the Vice-President of Finance at the University of Saskatchewan.

In Saskatoon, Don enjoyed spending time with family, including Todd’s baseball games and Megan’s riding lessons. The whole family loved spending time with their beloved dog, Paisley. Don’s time living in the US in the late 1960s and early 1970s instilled a lifelong interest in American politics and history. He could be counted on to set up election prediction games every provincial, federal, and US election with his friends near and far. Don and Geri loved to host joyful large dinners and play games late into the night. They always did the dishes together before bed, clinking and clanking as they rehashed the evening.

In 1993, Don and his family moved to Victoria, BC where Don began work as the Vice-President of Finance at the University of Victoria. Don and Geri built a strong circle of friends and enjoyed many years of evenings out attending plays and concerts, as well as walks with each other. In 2000, Don retired as VP and embarked on what would be one of his favourite jobs, that of Professor in the Faculty of Business at the University of Victoria. He loved teaching and relished the opportunity to engage with a wide variety of students. Don and Geri also loved to travel, and together, they did memorable trips with friends to India, Southeast Asia, Turkey, and Europe. One of Don’s most cherished trips was to Costa Rica with Geri, Megan and Todd in 2003.

In 2009, Don retired from the University of Victoria, and he and Geri relocated to North Vancouver to be closer to Megan and Todd. They happily lived in a small apartment within walking distance of Megan’s home. Don remained busy, serving on the Provincial Health Authority Board and the Securities Commission for many years. In 2010, Don and Geri welcomed their grandson, Owen. That same year, Don lost Geri, which was a huge blow, and a loss that he never truly recovered from. However, Don lived near Megan, and Todd was not far away, and Owen and Don spent a great deal of time together over the next 16 years. Don would regularly take Owen to Maplewood Farms in North Vancouver, on hikes to see birds, and later they would battle on the cribbage board. Don attended Owen’s soccer games and watched his tae kwon do classes with pride. Owen cherished his time with his Papa.

Don continued to travel in his later years, including on safari in Kenya and Tanzania with Todd in 2012, a trip that Don and Geri had always intended to do together. Don continued to travel to India, back to Africa, Italy, Israel and Greece with friends, including Terri, Susan and Heather. These trips and friends sustained him in the difficult years after Geri passed away. Don never lost his love of dinner-table conversations, making new friends to share meals with when he moved into a retirement community in North Vancouver for his last few years. Don always said he was grateful to have had a wonderful family, and so we honour that memory fondly.

Remembrances and condolences may be left below. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Don’s name to the Lions Gate Hospital Foundation. https://lghfoundation.com/