Donald Bocking

January 10, 1935 - November 30, 2017

With great sadness we announce the passing of Donald Bocking at the Kelvington Hospital on November 30 after a brief illness.

Donald was the eldest of 4 children born to Ernest and Theresa Bocking at the family farm near Lintlaw on January 10, 1935. Donald is survived by Dorothy, his wife of 56 years, his children David ( Laurie), Tammy (Roger), Danny (Joan), Dean (Belinda), Karen (Greg), Jody (Ron), his 14 grandchildren Roshann, Elianna, Shakiel, Jordan, Adam, Jeremy, Kayli, Jessica, Dana, Cierra, Sundra, Nigel, Mikaela and Matthew along with twio great-grandchildren-Keneisha and Shondra. He is also survived by his brothers Gerald (Carol), and Ken (Edith), and sister Carol (Leonard). Donald is predeceased by his daughter Donna (2015) and his grandson Ilan in Australia (2004).

Donald attended St. Europe School for Grade 1 and Lintlaw School until grade 8. He lived his entire life within a few miles of the farm where he was born, buying the Bocking homestead from his parents in 1952 and living on the farm until 1969 when he moved into the village of Lintlaw with Dorothy and their first 4 children. He initially farmed with his family and then overtime acquired and cleared another quarter section in 1955 while working in the north in the winter on diamond drilling rigs or driving taxi in Flin Flon. He continued to farm and work winters in the north once the family moved to town until John Muller offered him a job at the garage where he worked for several years while continuing to farm until 1976. At this point, he started working for Pioneer Plumbing and Heating and then plumbing for with Dolton Electric until he started Lintlaw Plumbing and Heating with Dorothy as his able plumbing assistant and business manager. Donald and Dorothy continued this business until 2010 while Donald could still wrestle a water heater down the basement stairs even at 75. Donald never really retired as he continued to do smaller jobs or offer phone advice to anyone who called.

It is Donald's undeniable generosity that touched the lives of so many who knew him. Helping a neighbour fix a piece of equipment, calling Bingo every Thursday for decades, fixing a furnace at 2AM, or unplugging a sewer on Christmas Eve, pulling or digging someone out of the ditch, and helping his mother-in-law were all done with a smile. Donald was active on the boards of the Chamber of Commerce, the School Board, and Recreation Centre, many of them at the same time. His booming voice earned him the role of parade marshal and official booth announcer at the annual Lintlaw Sports Day.

He was a dedicated father; together with Dorothy raising 7 children always making sure the children had an opportunity to participate in sports. The first year Lintlaw had a team in the Kelvington pee wee house leagues, Donald loaded all of the players in the station wagon and drove to every game while one of the other dads took all the euipment and coach in their pickup. Despite working endless hours, he seldom missed any of his children's ball or hockey games. When he played catch with you he never used a glove daring you to throw the ball harder.

In his 70s, he took up golf for a few years, enjoying his time together with Dorothy at the Kelvington Golf Course, although he was not fond of looking for his ball in the bush. His biggest passion was playing cards. For years, Donald and Dorothy enjoyed a rousing evening of cards every Friday night with Carol and Leonard or Gerald and Carol. Cribbage was his favourite card game where he honed his cribbage skills as a young man playing an entire winter with Stanley Anderson when they weren't doing chores. He taught his children and grandchildren to play, but no one ever mastered counting their points as fast as Donald. Before you could say 15-2 he would tell you how many points you had and he was never wrong. He played his last game in the Kelvington Hospital before breakfast on November 27.

Most of all he will be remembered for his giant smile, his boisterous laugh, his crushing handshake, his gentle grandpa hugs and his commitment to family and community.

 Memorials in memory of Don Bocking may be made to the Kelvington and District Health Care Facility Foundation Inc. or to St. Theresa's Parish Memorial or Cemetery Funds as gifts of remembrance. .

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