Donald Robert MacIntyre
June 6, 1939 – March 3, 2017
Service Date: March 10, 2017
Trinity Lutheran Church
Memorial Services will be held at 11:00 am on Friday, March 10 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Brooks.

Obituary

Donald Robert MacIntyre
June 6, 1939 – March 3, 2017
A Tale of Donald MacIntyre
This is a short account of the happily full life of Donald Robert MacIntyre. Don was born on June 6th, 1939 and passed away in Medicine Hat on March 3rd, 2017 at the age of 77.
Usually he would tell a person he was born in Tompkins Saskatchewan, but was actually born on the MacIntyre farm (Section 13, Tp14, Range 21, West of the 3rd…quite a mouthful, hence “Tompkins”). Don was the 4th of six children born to Pearl and John “Jock” MacIntyre. Older brothers John, William (Billy), Hamish, and younger brother Archie and sister Margaret were his family growing up on the Saskatchewan prairies. He grew up a typical prairie farm kid acquiring a love of the outdoors, animals and working the land. Seeing his parents working for themselves and family helping family were lessons well learned as they shaped his life. A consummately kind and gentle man, Don took after his mother Pearl.
After attaining “enough schooling” Don moved along and headed out to work at Minor Ranch in the Great Sand Hills with his good friend Richard Hughes. The Minors continued to infuse Don with a love of ranching and working with animals. They could see his keen learning skills and responsible demeanor, and thus invested in Don’s pilot flight training in Swift Current to help check on cattle in the remote areas of the ranch. He acquired his “Student Pilot Permit’ in October of 1962 and realized another lifelong love, flying. It was so representative of the freedom he enjoyed in his life’s pursuits. As Don continued on with farm work sheering sheep across Western Canada, he also fit in a stint of hauling dynamite for seismic crews up north. As an inventive man, and never backing down from a challenge, he was able to be a “logger” for an hour one day at a logging camp with a half dozen sticks of dynamite and his trusty 30.06 rifle. The tree the road builders said “could not be cut down” succumbed to Don’s will resulting in a smattering of wood shrapnel; a story that was always entertaining to hear.
Don, in his travels around the Hazlet, Cabri, Abbey areas, met Mary Anne Atkinson, a young brilliant Registered Nurse and rancher’s daughter. Having so much in common they developed a deep love and married in Cabri, Saskatchewan on November 1st, 1969. The next adventure: off to buy a farm in Brooks, Alberta that allowed the novel concept of irrigation. Don and Marry Anne had their only child, James, on December 22nd, 1971. Don had been waiting at the farm for “the phone call” as Mary Anne was in Cabri with her parents Marie and Frank to avert the chance of being in labor and snowed in on the farm. Don took on the role of being as kind, gentle, and loving a parent as he learned from his mother Pearl; always time for a snuggle and kiss good night. To keep the day eternally special, Don’s neighbor Dick Edwards decided to try and burn down the Edward’s farm by accidently setting a tractor on fire, as Don saved the day putting it out. Don enjoyed many activities in Brooks; the dearest to his heart was his initiation into Free Masonry. “Philosophy for the soul, education for the common man, making a good man better” was the lessons Don absorbed from his Brethren in the Lodge, and would pass along to fine men he would meet whom he thought should join.
Aside from his good farming and Masonic friends, Don became part of the Curling club, trapshooting, flying farmers, and Eastern Star to surround himself with yet more dear friends. Fishing was always the vacation of choice for Don and family, with a particular love of Beaver Mines Lake whom one of his best childhood friends, Terry Martin, introduced him to. Fall time hunting with Uncle Charlie and father-in-law Frank would ensure a freezer full of geese for the year. Over the years Don acquired the deserved reputation of being a great welder, mechanic, rancher, farmer, “pseudo-veterinarian”, and neighbor; in short, the definition of a farmer. His Aqueduct community was always an important part of this family. Not known for being anything less than a social butterfly, unannounced “coffee visits” was the norm and taught the neighborhood true community mindedness.
The early 1990’s saw many changes. James was off to University, and Mary Anne having health issues secondary to an aneurysm in 1992. As a true role model to the promises of “for better or worse, in sickness and in health” Don helped and cared for Mary Anne until her passing on September 11th, 1999. Don finished this difficult year with pride in his son’s graduation from Chiropractic College. Don’s delight in his son’s accomplishments was well known to his many friends and neighbors, as he would not shy away from showing his pride. Don found a special friendship in Margaret Laux in the summer of 2001 which gave him great company and companionship for all of his favorite things in life. Through this he developed loving relationships with Marg’s children Mike and Marilyn and was also looked upon as a “grandpa” by Allison, Brett, and Quinn.
Also in 2001, James had shown up at the farm with a lovely young lady named Liz, whom Don always referred to as Elizabeth. Don immediately took a shine to her and told James “she’s a keeper”. A couple of outings to prove she could learn to drive a tractor, move hay, fish, and shoot clay pigeons, she was readily accepted in to join the family. Liz married James in Hawaii in 2005, on Don and Mary Anne’s anniversary of November 1st. James surprised Don earlier that year as he asked Don to be his Best Man, knowing his Dad was his best friend; a bit unconventional but taken as an honor and done with much pride. This trip also gave Don an opportunity to leave the North American continent for the first time and see just how white a farmer’s legs can look in a pair of shorts and how uncomfortable a pair of flip-flops was between his toes.
Liz provided one of Don’s greatest joys in July of 2010 with the birth of Marie Wendy MacIntyre; his first grandchild. Don reveled in teaching Marie to fish in Beaver Mines, to ride a horse, to steer the trucks, to make bales and drive the tractor, and unfortunately how to swear like Don. A beam of pride and buttons popping off his chest were the norm with Marie in the room. He regretted never taking Marie for her first flight in a small plane. His “farmer-buzzing” reputation, playing James’ favorite childhood flying game “roller coaster”, and tendency to get nosebleeds over 100 feet of altitude may have proved too nerve racking for mommy Liz (who has a fear of flying). Don’s next great surprise came in March of 2015 with the birth of his second granddaughter Charlotte Anne MacIntyre. A new person to take camping, watch take first steps, and go “like a scared rabbit” were some of Don’s greatest pleasures to watch as a Grandpa. He never missed and enjoyed every Christmas with his granddaughters since birth, each was a wonderful experience and made for many joyful memories.
Don’s health became very challenged with a difficult infection starting in mid-December 2016 and subsequently slowly declined afterward. The last weeks of February saw his health slip further, leading to Medicine Hat hospital where he passed peacefully on March 3rd holding James’ hand and surrounded by an exceptionally caring medical staff.
Don was predeceased by his Mother Pearl and Father John, his brother Hamish, and wife Mary Anne. He is survived by his son James, daughter- in-law Liz, granddaughters Marie and Charlotte, siblings John, Billy, Archie, and Margaret, many nephews and nieces, his special friend Margaret Laux, his dog Doc, and farm pets Rambo, Sylvester, Funny Face, Dolly, Dharma, and Buttons.
Don’s family would like to give many thanks to the Medicine Hat Hospital doctors and nurses for their wonderful compassion and care. Thank you also to the special few Brooks hospital nurses who cared for Don in a way that would have made Mary Anne proud. To Dr. Curran and Dr. Van de Linde: a big thank-you for your invaluable candor, caring, and professional demeanor.
In memory of Don, may be made to the Brooks Masonic Lodge #73 or Eastern Star Helen Chapter #91 and would have been appreciated by Don.
Memorial Services will be held at 11:00 am on Friday, March 10 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Brooks.

Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Donald Robert MacIntyre – June 6, 1939 – March 3, 2017.source

Décès pour la Ville: Duchess, Province: Alberta

avis deces Donald Robert MacIntyre – June 6, 1939 – March 3, 2017- avis mortuaire Donald Robert MacIntyre – June 6, 1939 – March 3, 2017