Thomas Desmond (Des) Haughey

Beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, Des passed away peacefully at the age of 94 after a long, active, and well-lived life.

Gifted with a tremendous intellect and strength of character, he was a highly respected executive in the Canadian property and casualty insurance industry. But perhaps more importantly, he and his wife, Lauretta, lived a very active life together. They were avid hikers and cross country skiers, sharing many summer and winter adventures with friends in the Rocky Mountains. They were also active in the Calgary square dance community where they made many good friends.

Des was predeceased by his mother Marguerite (née Macht), his brother Jerome, and his sister Jeannette (Leo Mulhall).

He will be dearly missed by his wife of 67 years, Lauretta (née Seiferling), as well as their six children and ten grandchildren: son Doug (Karen, née Lorenz) and their sons Jason (Lyndsay, née Moore), Tyler (Denise, née Russill), and Craig (Sarah, née Lyons); daughter Colleen (Ian Young) and their daughters Janel (Donovan Ashby) and Emily (Michael Zegarac); son Mark (Elly McKeague); son Pat (Anne Lyne-Haughey) and their children Christopher (Jereza Kidmesen) and Laura; son Paul (Diane, née Heinzlmeir) and their children Colin (Liz McCaffrey), Brandon (Kristina, née Bobak), and Kelsey (Ryan Seamark); and daughter Jean (Doug Konash). His cherished great-grandchildren will carry on his legacy.

Des is also survived by Jerome’s wife Betty (née Putz), sister-in-law Josephine Deck, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Des’s family would like to send their sincere gratitude to the staff at Carewest Garrison Green for caring for him and loving him over the past 3 1/2 years, and to the staff at Foothills Medical Centre Unit 47 for helping him through his final days.

A celebration of Des’s life will be held at a later date. Flowers are gratefully declined.

For those who wish, memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer Society of Canada at https://alzheimer.ca/en.

A little more on Des’s life:

Born in North Battleford, but raised in Regina by a single mother, Des, being the eldest of 3 children, took on many responsibilities at a very young age. Unable to finish high school at Campion College due to financial constraints, Des went to work for his uncle Adam Macht at Modern Radiator and was very proud of the work he did there. Eventually Des found his way into the insurance industry, working first at McCallum Hill Insurance, then at CIS, which later became the Co-operators. While working, Des finished his high school education, received a Certificate in Management from the University of Saskatchewan, obtained numerous insurance industry designations, and mastered the difficult actuarial skills so necessary to his profession.

As a young man, Des was an active member of the Catholic Youth Club (the CYC). It was there that he met many of his lifelong friends. He met Lauretta, a farm girl from Sedley, and they married in 1955. The ensuing years were spent in northwest Regina with their six children. Their lives centred around their own family, extended family, church, and school. St Peter’s Roman Catholic Church was the cornerstone of their family life and they made some of their most cherished friends there. Every summer, family vacations were a 3 week adventure in a station wagon and tent trailer. Each trip was meticulously planned, and Des enjoyed those trips more than anyone.

In 1978, at the age of 50, Des was slated to move to Guelph, Ontario with the Co-operators. Unwilling to move their family that far from home, Des and Lauretta made the move to Edmonton where Des managed the Canada West Insurance Company for a short time before becoming General Manager of the Alberta Motor Association Insurance Company. AMA became his home and work until his retirement in 1991.

After retirement, with five of their six children living in Calgary, Des and Lauretta decided to make Calgary their home. This enabled them to be closer to most of their family, and closer to their beloved Rocky Mountains. It was there that their mountain adventures really ramped up, and it was there they lay down roots for the last time. They enjoyed 31 years of retirement together with their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, who were grateful to have them so close.

Des enjoyed his retirement years immensely, but as he got into his eighties and had to temper his active pursuits, he thought retirement was just too long and there should be some good jobs out there for those approaching their ninth decade of life. He spent the last 5 years of his life planning… his next adventure, job, car, bike, set of skis, or computer. He never gave up on his dreams, and despite his challenges near the end, he never gave up on himself. Des was an extraordinary man who always worked hard at living his life well. Now he can rest.