So sorry to hear of Don’s passing. I first met Don the summer of 2001 I needed a tow yard and he had the location at 1410 Alpha Lake Road.  Don was my biggest supporter, landlord and mentor he believed in me when nobody else did.  
He was brutally honest,  sometimes too honest but that’s what made him who he was.  
Thank you Don for your support over the years.

I don’t have the right words to describe Don Wensley. Titan, Legend, Warrior, Supporter, Lion heart come to mind.  Don believed in people, he was gruff, blunt, kind and generous all at one time. When he said something I listened. He was the voice of the community and the future. I am deeply grateful to have spent time with him. So sad that I did not get the chance to scratch the surface of knowing this legend of a man. My heartfelt condolences to his family. You were what he worked so hard for. You are missed my friend❤️

Don was such a Supportive and inspiring Man.  In The case Of solving The problem Of Where would I move my business, in times Of rental increases, and uncertain futures….Don had solutions.
Within 10 minutes Of meeting him he had my business problems solved.  I had The Pleasure Of knowing him for a couple Of years.  And will forever Remember his kind heart, bold spirit and endless support 💕✨
Don is officially an Angel.  DEEP condolescences to all Who Love him!
Magdalena, from Parkplace at Whistler Myofascial Release! 🙌🏼🙏🤍

I met Don in Whistler about 15 years ago and at that time would house sit for him for a month or so each winter in Whistler when he went to Palm Springs. As I got to know Don over the years, I learned of his time in the Air Force; this coincided with a search that Whistler Search and Rescue were conducting for evidence related to the 1956 crash of an Air Force training plane in the Callaghan Valley. Don was very familiar with these aircraft and attended with SAR to the Callaghan Valley. He held the SAR members spellbound with his tales of his time in the Air Force and provided valuable information relating to the ejection process that the pilots followed for in flight emergencies (greatly assisting and informing search efforts). Don also searched on the ground that day in very inclement weather and covered a very rough piece of terrain which gave me an idea of the tenacity that he possessed. Don was quite an entertaining fellow to be around and was larger than life. I recall driving to Palm Springs with him one year and he insisted on being at the wheel as we crossed the border into the US. The US Border Agent asked Don: "What is the purpose of your visit to the United States of America?" Don quickly replied "We're trying to find some hot divorcees". For a full minute, we sat under the silent icy glare of the border agent while I pondered if we were going to be shown to some sparse interrogation room for further questioning. After an uncomfortable pause, he wished us well in our quest and sent us on our way....life in Don's company was never  boring and I will miss our chats and time together.....Rest in Peace my friend.

Well this has taken me days to put my thoughts down about Don, because really where do you start? I have worked with Don on and off for over 35 years and in that time I have seen him be smart, furious, witty, giving, vulnerable, confrontational and driven but something that was really important to Don was being Successful.  Don was the King of Function Junction and helped many businesses around him also be successful. I feel very fortunate that Don was in my life and that our last chat on the phone was Don calling to say how much he enjoyed working with me over the years.  Don touched many lives (good or bad) but I'm sure we all agree he will be missed.
Chrissy Robinson

Grandpa Don was a man you would not forget meeting. He was a larger than life character who prided himself in being excellent at whatever he put his mind to. 
While he was known for his business success and intensity, those who knew him well also saw a side of him that was generous, caring, supportive, and protective. 
He was a complicated man who people had many strong opinions of, and he did not shy away from sharing opinions  of his own. 
I will miss hearing your stories of the farm and Air Force days. Rest well.

Don gave my husband and I a chance to start our businesses- He believed in us so much that he even gave us a loan to START  our businesses on a handshake !!
We wouldn’t be where we are in our life had it he not been in our lives . It’s never been lost on us that we owe everything we are and have  to him !! 
We will never  ever forget Don - ( even if we wanted to !!!) what an amazing mentor friend and sometimes father ❤️RIP Don you deserve it 🙏

I first met Don, somewhere around 1972/1973. He owned and operated a very successful real estate company (Cam-Co) on Vancouver Island. 
This company was bought out by Henry and Arthur Block (Block Bros Realty) and Don  came into "The fold".  Eventually Don became General Manager of Block Bros Realty, before moving to Whistler in the early to mid 1980's
Mark's synopsis of October 15th is so spot on, particularly as noted in Don's 10 lessons. 
Don was, on the one hand, an extremely complex person, yet on the other hand, could drill down onto an issue and make it appear so simple.
For sure, (in my mind, and in the minds of countless others) he displayed an absolutely BRILLIANT capacity to create extremely complex real estate deals in his mind, before reducing it to paper. Especially in the realm of creative financing.
A close friend of mine, who eventually became president of NRS Block Bros Realty, (at that time the third largest real estate company in Canada) described Don, as a person, whose boundless energy and creativity, "wore his clothing out from the inside"
Testament to his business life, are his countless successes in developements and creations stemming from extraordinary visionary abilities.
Testament to his personal and family life, are the accounts, particularly over the last 25 years, from his family and friends, of a warmth and love, that an outsider may not at first be able to discern.
God Bless you Don, and God bless your family, and bring them peace.

Don was an important part of the Whistler Real Estate office for many years.   We will miss him.

I am Don’s daughter - his first born.  By his own choice, he had little to do with me through most of my life. Due to a variety of circumstances, dad chose to move to Vernon in May 2020, to be closer to some of his family.  Over the past 3 ½ years since that move, dad and I have had a lot of time to get to know one another. I looked after his banking, correspondence and healthcare, as well as his divorce. After his health began to decline in November 2021, my visits became times of sitting with him for hours at a time, gazing at the birds in the sky or giving him space to talk about what it was like to travel the journey of dementia. He loved our walks through the farm market where I would get him his favourite treats of fresh berries or an apple turnover. And I introduced him to A&W Teen burgers, which he devoured! One of his great joys was watching his great grandchildren as they helped the gardeners where he lived, colouring alongside them in a colouring book, or listening to them sing songs for him. Whenever they were visiting, especially in the park, he wanted to make sure they were safe and never stopped watching out for them. I’m sad for what I never had and what will never be, but I am deeply grateful for the recent sweet memories I hold dear, especially the smile on his face whenever I entered his room for a visit. These last few years remind me of the following bible verse.  “I will restore to you the years that the locust has eaten. You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, who has dealt wondrously with you.” Joel 2:25-26

We are very sad to hear the news about Don. One of Whistler's Personalities and a Leader in the Whistler Business Community, Don helped many young business owners including myself and family over the years. His acerbic personality masked his huge heart and his love of "making the deal" will be missed. Sincerely, Kendra and Kevin

“The Don” was arguably the most accomplished and certainly the most extraordinary of my tens of thousands of clients over a 35 year legal career, and I was very proud to have been great friends with him as well.
Integral to the development of both Whistler Village and Function Junction,  quite apart from his miraculous Kalamalka Highlands rescue, “ DW” has left a solid legacy, but not just in progressive land development and outstanding construction.
The hundreds of entrepreneurs and investors who benefitted from his profound wisdom, constant encouragement and financial acumen (and financing!) salute him with great respect and an abundance of gratitude.
I so cherished his friendship and have missed his presence in the last while. Rest in Peace…
Peter Shrimpton, Retired Lawyer & Friend

I met Don about 20 years ago and will always remember his integrity and, as Sharryn said, the big heart under a gruff exterior.  

While most of my time with him was work-related, I do want to share a personal story.  My family and I were on vacation in Whistler around the time of the Olympics, and we connected with Don for a visit.  We saw some of the sights together and during lunch, he told us the time when a bear broke into his house.  Don came into the kitchen to see the back door of his house open and the bear in his fridge, and his first reaction was....to punch the bear and generally berate it until the bear beat a hasty retreat out the back door.  Don, of course, pursued the bear out the door with a continued verbal assault, and almost managed to get himself locked out of the house with the bear.  Luckily he was able to get back into the house before the bear figured out who was who on the food chain....

My kids were abut 8 and 10 at the time and this story left quite an impression, they always remembered the man that punched the bear and chased it out of his house.

Don was an interesting, complex man and I'll miss him.  My condolences to the family.

I worked with Don for 13 years until he retired. Don was successful in his career, he was a hard worker, very determined and motivated right up into his 80’s. He did tend to prioritize work above all else and because we worked one on one, we got to know each other very well. Don had a complex personality; he had a gruff exterior, but at the same time very charming and a huge heart inside. He was brutally honest even if it meant offending you. His dry sense of humor would shock people, and this would make me laugh.  I have picked up a lot of his sayings over the years which I continue to use. Don would like to get to the point quickly with people, he would go deep and because of his compassion I have seen many grown men cry in his office.  

Over the years Don became a powerful force in my life. I have no dad or grandad of my own and Don became a strong male role model for me. I was able to go to him for advice and support. We would go for morning coffee daily and he would read the newspaper and we were comfortable enough that we would not need to talk. I will always remember Don as being an important part of my life and I am extremely grateful for that.

The Millar Creek gang … Bill Seth, Don Wensley, Mark Wensley

10 LESSONS I LEARNED FROM MY DAD

1. Always do more than what’s expected of you 
2. Don’t be afraid to speak your mind 
3.  In family matters; Watch me and do the opposite 
4. A good apology almost makes the fight worth it 
5. Where failure isn’t a risk, there’s no success 
6. Help others who need a lending hand  
7. Find something to improve on every day
8. You’re never too important for the menial tasks  
9. When you stack firewood … use a straight edge 
10. No one ever went broke making a profit 

Dad was 63 when I wanted to have a closer relationship. I knew business was his primary love so asked if I could invest in Whistler with him. I wasn’t expecting any significant profit … I just wanted to know my dad and figured this was the best way. 
After 25 years of working together we grew to care deeply for one another … even as we wrestled through our pride and shortcomings. Dad was not always easy but he did make business fun and exciting. I learned more than any university professor could ever hope to teach me. 
Along the way we became friends. I transitioned from his “baby boy” to someone he could confide in and seek advice. We spoke about business to be sure.  However we often spent more time on things that matter most. 
When our family went through an awful time of suffering dad called most days to encourage me. He actually began to enjoy talking about faith & suffering, failure & forgiveness. 
Near the end of his life we prayed most times we were together … he liked that. 

As it turned out I did extremely well with that original investment in Whistler …  I grew to love my dad and be his friend.

AVIS DE DÉCÈS

Donald William Wensley

19 juin 1936 – 11 octobre 2023

Pleasant Valley Funeral Home

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