James Gordon Donald

December 2, 1927 - March 25, 2024

Gordon Donald of Edmonton passed away suddenly at 96 years of age. Gordon was predeceased by his parents James Donald(1994) and Annie Bertha Donald (1986) along with his nine younger siblings Walter(1949), Audrey(2019), Laurie(2019), George(1963), Freda(2008), Herbert(2014), Marilyn(1972), Barrie(2021) and Doreen(1979).

His wife Mary predeceased him in 2007 leaving him to be survived by his two boys Cameron(Kristina) and Brian(Kimberly). He will be sorely missed by his four grandchildren Autumn, Kiara, Squire and Riley.

Gordon was born at the Dietrich Home in the Southfolk District of Manitoba to James and Annie Bertha Donald on December 2, 1927. Over time, Gordon was joined by his siblings where they all worked on the family farm in Treherne and area. As the oldest child, Gordon started early with farming chores and as his brothers and sisters came along they too joined him in those family responsibilities, which was common to depression era faming families in southern Manitoba.

In the 1948, he began to spend his winters in warmer climates owing to his lung ailments. He would drive down to Los Angeles, California and work at various jobs like a Bakers Assistance, Door to Door Salesmen and working for the Remington Corporation which required him to perform service calls at the various Hollywood movie studios. Every Spring he would make the return trip back to Manitoba to assist his family to get the crop in. A few years later he made his way to Northern Alberta on a visit to his Uncles.

In 1954 he met Mary (Marie) Wira of Deadwood, Alberta while on one of those visits. Some four years later he married Mary Wira and they planned to settle down farming in the Manning area. At that time, the only problem was money to facilitate this long term goal. So his new bride and Gordon made a plan to work in Edmonton for a time, until they could return to Manning and begin farming fulltime.

So both found work at the recently opened up Celanese Chemical Plant, east of Edmonton at the Clover Bar site on the east bank of the North Saskatchewan River. Gordon worked various dangerous units making liquid oxygen, acetone and textiles, while bride Mary worked in the administrative offices as a teletype operator.

The financial opportunities of working at Celanese proved too lucrative for them both, and when their first child Cameron arrived in 1965, followed by Brian in 1967; they decided to stay in Edmonton and raise their family there instead.

Gordon retired from Celanese in 1980 and spent his long retirement years travelling annually in the winter to Arizona, Nevada and southern California with Mary.

In lieu of a service please log on to www.dignitymemorial.com/en-ca/funeral-homes/alberta/stony-plain/parkland-funeral-services/3647 if you wish to show your support.

We want to thank the staff on the 11Y Unit of the Edmonton General Continuing Care Centre where Gordon spent his final 3 years of life.

If friends desire, Memorial Tributes may be made to Alberta Division Alzheimer Society of Canada #306, 10430 – 61 Avenue NW, Edmonton, Alberta T6H 2J3