Trigg, David John
David John Trigg passed away peacefully on Saturday March 20th 2021, feeling the love of his family from his bedside and from across the ocean. He had battled a wide range of health issues courageously and without complaints for many years and was lucky to have the unwavering love and support of the best caregiver – his wife Linda.
Dave liked to pretend that he was a grumpy old man but he was loyal to a fault and had a big, soft heart. He cried easily at important moments like his childrens’ weddings and when talking about his favourite meals. He enjoyed celebrating birthdays, Christmases and other holidays but never felt the need for a special occasion in order to enjoy good food. A Tuesday was a good enough reason to cook a big dinner and spend time with family. Food and family were by far his two greatest loves.
Dave was born on January 30th, 1942 in Shropshire England to Harold Herbert and Agnes May Trigg. They lived a simple life in Tenbury Wells and as a young adult Dave crossed the Atlantic to search for happiness in Canada. He found it not long after arriving when he met Linda at a mutual friend’s party. They were married in Toronto on May 23rd 1970 and spent the next 50 years staying true to their vows of for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health. In April 1975 their family grew with the birth of Jennifer Suzanne and in July 1977 it was complete when they welcomed their son Andrew David. They built a strong foundation and two happy homes – first in the townhouses on Central Park Drive and then on Lawndale Crescent in Brampton. Though not the biggest of houses, they were always filled with family, friends and neighbors. Having no siblings himself he became very close with his brothers and sisters-in-law Johnnie and Betty Gillies and Danny and Edith Jeannotte and their children (and later their children’s children). Many Christmas Eves were spent eating perogies and cabbage rolls and playing games all together. He and Linda also regularly hosted monthly bridge club parties, dinners with friends and impromptu BBQs in the backyard.
Dave was a solitary person and happy to be on his own but was beyond generous and welcoming when it came to sharing his home. After the death of his mother May in 1983, his father Harold came to live with the family and was part of everything they did until his death in October 1991. Jen and Andrew had many close friends who were constantly coming and going and Dave was always willing to pick them up, drive them home and especially to order pizza for them. Dave and Linda later welcomed their son-in-law Fabio and daughter-in-law Paige who both lived with them for various lengths of time. While working with a company that helped people immigrate to Canada from the UK, Dave was known to go above and beyond in helping families resettle, often offering his home to strangers while they looked for somewhere more permanent. He treated them all like part of the family and some remain close friends to this day.
In the early days of their marriage Dave ran a family restaurant, the Dutch Pancake House. It was long hours that often kept him away from the family and he eventually left that to work in the food business as a purchaser. His kids have happy memories of coming to his office near Lester B. Pearson airport and being allowed to have an unlimited supply of pop from the soda fountains. After several years he decided to change career paths entirely and went back to school to get his real estate license. It was a good choice as he didn’t mind the long, irregular hours and he lived for the thrill of selling a house. The sound of his pager (and later his “car phone”) going off was well known in the house and he was always willing to give all his time and energy to his clients. This work ethic was rewarded when he won the 1992 Brampton Real Estate Board Agent of the Year award.
Dave couldn’t have been prouder of his children. He watched with joy as Jen graduated from University and went on to have a successful career in Canada and later working for the Canadian Government from her new home in Geneva, Switzerland. He played a large role in Andrew’s love of flying by spending hours with him as a child parked by the airport watching the planes take off and land. He was beaming as he watched Andrew give the valedictorian speech and receive his wings at his graduation from college in Thunder Bay. Some of his proudest moments were when Andrew became co-pilot and later captain with Air Canada. He was thrilled to be at both of their weddings and only partly because they were both at all inclusive (therefore all-you-can-eat) resorts. He loved Fabio and Paige from the very first day he met them as much as he loved his own children. His heart grew even further with the birth of each grandchild – Luka Andy, Ella Nicole, Leo Joseph, Amalia May (Molly), and Alucia Lin (Lucy).
Dave almost left us once in 2016 but wasn’t quite ready yet to go. He fought hard and came back to give us five more precious years. The experience was what he needed to finally retire, sell the house on Lawndale Crescent, and move to a cozy bungalow in Wasaga Beach close to Andrew, Paige and the girls. It was obviously a very good decision and despite the tediousness of his dialysis treatments, Dave and Linda were able to build a deeply fulfilling life with new friends and a wonderful community.
His family would like to particularly thank and recognize the dialysis team at the Collingwood hospital who took such good care of him for almost five years and became like a second family. In lieu of flowers, donations to the hospital in his name would be greatly appreciated.
The family take comfort in knowing that he is at peace and no longer suffering. He is probably with his beloved dog Tobie, winning all of his cribbage and bridge games, debating about politics, and eating whatever he wants (and as much as he wants). He will be sorely missed by his whole family and many friends, including those all across Canada, in the UK and in Switzerland.
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Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of David John Trigg Saturday March 20th 2021..
Death notice for the town of: Stayner, Province: Ontario