Clifford Martin Doak

He leaves behind loved ones that will miss him dearly, daughters Sandra, Maureen, Judi, and Heather as well as Audrey (Gerald), who held a special place in his heart, and his beloved grandchildren Shawn (Melissa), Brian (Shahani), Michael, Christie, Taylor, Tonii, and Tyra, his great grandchildren Kiera, Tylan, Lauren, Ava, and his newest joy, Amaiah. Also left are his sister Darlene, sister Karla, sister-in-law Violet, brother-in-law Bob, and his many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his wife, Pearl Doak (nee Keam), parents, two brothers, and two sisters.

Born on April 15, 1932 in Warren, Manitoba, to Leslie and Margot (nee Sund) Doak, Cliff was the oldest of a set of twin boys - a fact that he often reiterated by teasingly referring to the younger of the two as “baby brother” even into their 80’s. Along with Gerald, he also had an older brother Clayton, an older sister Belva, younger sisters Merlene and Darlene (also twins!) and a youngest sister Karla.

His youth and adolescence were spent in the town in which was born. With a rich family history originating in England and Ireland, and including some founding pioneer members, Clifford entertained his children with tales of highwayman, dukes and family castles; of horse and buggies, oil lamps and coal burning furnaces. The reality of life on a prairie farm during the 30s and early 40s shaped some of the practical characteristics he was known for throughout his adult life - resourcefulness, perseverance, hard work and an “anything is possible” attitude.

In 1955, at the age of 21, Clifford joined the Canadian Armed Forces, a career choice he proudly embraced until his retirement on 1984. His first posting was close to home, in Winnipeg. As passionate as he was with military life, his real love appeared in the form of a young woman he met through a mutual friend. In 1957, he married Pearl Keam, whose roots were also firmly planted in the Manitoba prairie. Clifford had found the perfect partner for himself, as Pearl matched his adventurous spirit, caring nature and supported his endless endeavours. Two years after they married, their oldest daughter Sandra was born. His young family of three left Winnipeg for a 4 year posting to Germany, returning back home as a family of five, with daughter 2 and 3 in tow. His last daughter was born in 1967. He joked forever more that he was officially outnumbered—even the pets they owned thereafter were female!

They quickly settled back into military life on Canadian soil. Never a man to rest on his laurels, Cliff evoked his grandparent’s adventurous and energetic spirits. He invested in a nickel mine in Ontario and with Pearl’s blessing, faithfully made the trip from Winnipeg to mine it on a regular basis. He purchased an apartment building with his twin brother. When he moved his family to his next posting, a small radar base in Beausejour, Manitoba, he filled his off work hours with managing the base canteen, and editing and publishing “The Ridge”, the radar station’s weekly newspaper. He was an artist at heart, skilled at painting and drawing, and lent his talents for more than a few pastel portraits. He was an avid woodworker, designing and building a 31” high Tri-Service Emblem sign to welcome visitors to the military station, and spent countless hours in the workshop on base, building wagon lamps to pay homage to his pioneer roots. Tirelessly social, he was of course an enthusiastic participant in the many activities on base, lending his skills to creating floats for parades, props for Christmas plays, and was known to weld a shovel or two for his team’s snow sculpture event in the winter carnivals. He continued this same theme when he moved to CFB Chilliwack in 1977, which would be his last posting. Along with his regular duties in Transport, he took time out to mentor young service men missing home by enlisting their help in building a fully functioning wooden train used for various events in Chilliwack.

Apart from these various endeavours, his career also had notable official service highlights for which he was quite proud. While stationed in Germany, he had the distinction of sometimes driving for the royal family, and was again given that privilege during a Canadian Royal visit to Winnipeg once he’d returned home. (He still has a sun umbrella accidently left by one of the “ladies in waiting”, tucked safely away in one of his hall closets!) He was one of hundreds of military personal involved in the 1976 Olympics games in Montreal. In 1977, he had the honor of being appointed a member of the Order of Military Merit for recognition for conspicuous merit and exceptional service by active members of the Canadian Armed Forces. The resulting metal graced his uniform at every Remembrance Day ceremony long after his retirement in 1984.

Retirement from the service did little to slow him down, but merely expanded his horizons. He opened a business, which he operated for many years. He continued with his hobby of woodworking, building his dream workshop along the way. He and Pearl embraced spontaneous traveling. Eventually, he turned more and more of his attention to his local church, helping out with maintenance, publishing a pictorial phone book, and putting together the weekly bulletin and taking on a role as head deacon. He was active in the community as well, involved with a variety of local charities. His desire to help people, be it family or strangers alike, in ordinary and extraordinary ways, had been a running theme his entire life.

As much as all of these things were important to him, his greatest pride came in the quieter, more personal moments—meeting and marrying his wife Pearl, the births of his daughters and all of the significant moments in their lives, vacations as a young family and as empty nesters. There were trips across Canada to see both friends and family, and across oceans for the same purpose. Weddings, reunions and good old fashion visiting interspersed with the births of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Life was full. In an introspective moment several months ago, he remarked to his wife of 67 years, “We’ve had a good life, Pearly..” They passed only three months apart.

To honor our parents, and their 67 years together, we will be holding a joint memorial service celebrating both their early lives and the one they shared, to be held on October 6, 2024 at the Seventh Day Adventist Church. A private family interment will be held at a later date.