Donald Patterson

Don passed peacefully on December 4, 2025, just a few months shy of his 97th birthday.

He was born in Kelowna and lived in Duncan from an early age. His father worked at, and later managed, Duncan Garage, the likely source of Don’s lifelong love of cars (preferably Ford) and tinkering on motors. Don often reminisced about spending summers sailing at Maple Bay, buying his first model A Ford truck, working at Sonny’s grocery, and later driving gravel truck and working on the green chain at Honeymoon Bay.

When he heard that Mike MacDowell had a good looking younger sister, he started visiting the house on Wilson Avenue. And it worked, Ann apparently liked him too. He enjoyed the activity of their large family and spent many hours around their kitchen table. Don often recalled how kind Nellie (his future mother-in-law) and Joan were to him when he was seriously injured in car accident while Ann was in nursing school in Victoria.

In 1953 Don and Ann (MacDowell) were married and he built their first house. A year later Richard was born, the first of five children to come over the next 15 years.

For a time the young family of 3 had a dairy farm at Qualicum with his brother Ken’s family. Don, Ann and Richard loved the rewarding of work of farming life.

In 1958, the family including new baby Nancy moved to Victoria where Don worked in automotive parts supply and built El Toro sailboats. Later came Jenny, Andy and Fred, and Don switched careers over the years to real estate sales and for several decades had a small construction company and built houses. He was never without a measuring tape, and notebook to sketch out ideas as they came to him each day. He could confidently measure a property by pacing it.

Auburn Crescent in Duncan carries his company name, from a subdivision project he did on Jaynes Road in the 1970s.

Not one to lollygag, he was up before dawn and was always planning the next project. Evenings were spent at home at the drafting table working on house plans, or at night school taking power squadron or sail making courses. In later years he continued with woodwork and picture framing in his expansive workshop. He could pretty much build or fix anything.

In recent years Don looked forward to daily news of his kids and grandkids. He was immensely proud and supportive of them all and was really glad Ann made him have all those kids.

Predeceased by his son-in-law Brian in 1998, loving wife of 55 years, Ann in 2008, brother Ken in 2019, and eldest son Richard in 2022.

Don is survived by children Nancy (Ed) Kirshfelt, Jenny (Greg) Snead, Andy (Laurie), and Fred (Patrice); daughter-in-law, Carrie; grandchildren, Erin, Geoff (Enid), Lindsay, Mo, Ashley (BJ), Savanna (Dan), Courtney, Riley, Philip, Shannon, Cole, Travis, Troy and Faith: great grandchildren, Magnus, Georgia, Olivia, Madelyn, Millie, Connor and Delphine; several nieces and nephews, and a few remaining lifelong friends.

Heartfelt thanks to all the dedicated care aides and nurses at Glen Warren for their compassion and care these past months.

Enjoy the wild blue yonder, Dad. It will be quite the reunion. You can officially retire now.

A private gathering to remember Don and Ann will be held at a future date.

Condolences may be offered to the family below.

McCall Gardens
www.mccallgardens.com

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