John Douglas (Doug) Courtney

He was born on July 20, 1928, in Tottenham, Ontario, Canada. Doug was a remarkable man, cherished as a husband, father, stepfather, brother, and a beloved grandfather.

Our Dad loved a glass of wine with a good meal. His favourite toast defined who he was: " to togetherness and more of the same”. By togetherness he meant the intimacy and connectedness he so valued with his family. His happiness was reflected in the twinkle of his eyes.

We will all miss him terribly. However, he left us with lessons well taught that we will reflect on for the rest of our lives. His respect for others was constant. His ability to express to his family how much he loved them and his pride in them was always evident. He was always charming with an infectious smile and a very good nature.

Our Dad came from humble beginnings, but his resilience , determination, and work ethic were like no other. He exemplified the expression "it's not where you start in life but where you finish that counts."

He had a 50-year career with CP Rail. Starting as a Telegraph delivery person in Southern Ontario, he eventually became the Director of Transportation at Windsor Station in Montreal. His expertise led him to spend five fulfilling years as an international consultant to the Chinese Railway ministry. Additionally, Doug was the proud owner of an international container freight forwarding company in Pointe-Claire, serving customers in various corners of the world, including Canada (Edmonton and Winnipeg), Asia, South America, and Africa.

In his leisure time, Doug indulged in his passions. He found joy in traveling and watching travel shows. Along with his wife Nicole, he enjoyed watching culinary shows, appreciating the artistry and cuisines of different cultures. He had a fervent love of sports, particularly football games involving Tom Brady and Boston Bruins hockey games, which he enjoyed discussing with his son Bob. Doug and Nicole enjoyed their garden of geraniums, begonias, and dahlias together. They loved to sit on their porch and have a nice lunch and then sit and relish the garden that they had made together.

Family was of utmost importance to Doug. He is survived by his loving wife, Nicole Carpentier, his children Robert, Donald and Kathy his wife, and Lee and Jeff her husband, his sister-in-law Loyal Reina, his grandchildren Erin, Victoria, Brent, Isabelle, Kyle, Kayla, Christopher, Andrew, his stepdaughter Stephanie her husband Doug and their daughter Abigaelle, his stepdaughter Annie-Claude her husband Stephane and their children Samuel and Chloe. Doug's nieces and nephews are Donna Foster, Rick Ribble, Gary Ribble, and Lori Siewert. Doug was preceded in death by his son David, his first wife Norma, his brothers Mervin and Donald and his nephew James.

A private family celebration of life, and toast to togetherness is planned for a later date. Any donations in Doug’s name could be made to the wonderful and caring team in the ICU at the Lakeshore General Hospital, Pointe Claire, Quebec. https://fondationlakeshore.ca/our-hospital/

To Togetherness and more of the same.