David John Dohan

I guess I might consider myself as one of the lucky ones who could write their own obituary, as many don’t have that opportunity.  So here it is.

I was the only child born to Stanley and Betty (Kinaschuk) Dohan.  According to my birth certificate I was born at precisely 1:30 a.m. on June 20, 1950 at the Ethelbert General Hospital, Ethelbert, Manitoba, located 376 km north west of Winnipeg, Manitoba. I was raised on a farm in Ethelbert and attended Kerr School, a one room country school from grade one to grade eight. While I was in elementary school, I was also a member of the Boy Scouts. After elementary school, I then attended and graduated from Ethelbert Collegiate.

Growing up, church was very much part of my life. While attending St. Peter’s and Paul’s Ukrainian Catholic Church with my parents every Sunday, I also served as an altar boy. It didn’t take long to find where the priest kept the wine; need I say more!

While I loved the farm life, I still wanted to explore the world beyond the farm gates.  I then ventured out to Thompson, Manitoba, where I found employment with the International Nickel Company of Canada as a process technologist. As much as I enjoyed working for the International Nickel Company, there was a longing to return back to Ethelbert and the family farm.

Upon returning back home, I met the “Love of my Life” Sharon Filipchuk, and on August 11, 1973, we were married at St. Peter’s and Paul’s Ukrainian Catholic. We remained on the farm with my parents until 1974 when an opening became available in the rural municipality of Ethelbert for the position of secretary treasurer, a position which I held for thirteen years.  One of the requirements was a four-year municipal course through the University of Manitoba, which I graduated from.  We lived in a suite behind the office chambers for the next three years.

During those years the joy of parenthood had begun with our first-born son Christopher and then our second son Stephen.  With our family members increasing, we found ourselves being overcrowded in our tiny living quarters at the back of the office. Then in 1977, we purchased a house and moved to Rodney Street where our next two bundles of joy arrived, a daughter Kelly and then another daughter Amy. That completed our million-dollar family.

Besides working for the Municipality, I also took other positions in the community.  I served as a secretary treasurer of the Ethelbert Veterinary Services District Board, I was the manager of a twenty-unit Senior Citizen Housing Complex, I also was the Board representative of Dauphin and District Ambulance Services Board, President of the local Skating Rink Board and a coach for Wee Pees and Tom Thumbs Minor Hockey.

As much as I loved living in Ethelbert, life took a new turn and an opening became available with the Ford Motor Company in Oakville, Ontario.  We said our goodbyes to our cherished friends, and I packed up the family and moved to Niagara-On-The-Lake. I worked at the Ford Motor Company until retiring in 2018.

While living in Niagara and working at the Ford plant I also dipped my toes into acting.  I was an extra in the movies “Trapped in Paradise”, and “The Reff”, with actors Nicolas Cage and Dana Carvey which was being filmed in Niagara-On-The-Lake.  I did not win the Oscar but that was the closest I got to Hollywood.

From Niagara-On-The-Lake, we then downsized and moved to Beamsville, Ontario, where we resided for the next 21 years. I did find some time and took the family on many holidays back to Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, and Mexico.

Church being part of my life, I was blessed to be a member of St. John The Theologian Ukrainian Catholic Church in St. Catharines, Ontario where I joined the choir, volunteered in the church kitchen, was a Sunday donation collector, and was also part of many fund-raising groups.

As farming was always in my blood I enjoyed helping my friends, who were fruit farmers, sorting fruits and doing markets.  I also enjoyed going for long walks, biking, doing puzzles, word search, playing cards, reading but what I enjoyed most, was watching my favourite hockey team The Toronto Maple Leafs play for the past 50 plus years.  And No Cup Yet!!

With declining health, we made the move to London, Ontario to be closer to our specialists and hospitals. While leaving friends in the Niagara region was very difficult, I want you all to know how much laughter and joy you brought into my life.  We were very blessed in moving into a neighbourhood in London, where we were welcomed with warmth and inviting hospitality.

To our neighbours: thank you for all your support, kindness, generosity and love you have given to Sharon and myself during this time.

To my family: thank you for all the times we shared together, with all the laughter, the love and the caring you showed. There was never a dull moment when we did get together, whether it was our Thanksgiving dinners, Christmases, Easters, birthdays, barbecues, or just family get togethers. Christmases were always very special, keeping with our heritage and traditions, and Santa never missed coming with his sack full of presents.  Then there was the Easter Bunny who was sure to hide his treats along his trail.  I think everyone can figure out who Santa and the Easter Bunny were.

To my grandchildren, I was known as Gigi or Gig.  Thank you for the joyous years as I watched you grow from the very first day of your lives. You have been the light of my life.

I also want to take a moment to thank my doctors and nurses at University Hospital, Victoria Hospital, Verspeeten Family Cancer Centre, thank you for the excellent care.

To my VON palliative care nurses: Alexandra, Sibin, Manu, Cezar: thank you for your compassion, caring, and support.  You went above and beyond to ensure my comfort, particularly in my challenging times, which made the difficult times easier with your care. Thank you!

Also, a big thank you to my palliative care doctor, Dr. Adam Aue.  Your kindness, expertise, gentleness made all the difference.  I can’t thank you enough for the special, compassionate care you provided.

Now as I leave, I leave behind all those treasured memories to my soul mate, Sharon, of 52 years, my son Christopher (Maria), and their children Nicholas, Luke, Isabella, my son Stephen (Debby), and their children Owen (Lauren), and Maya, my daughter Kelly (Wayne) Parsons, and their son Mason, my daughter Amy (Steve) Solodiuk, and their children Skyler, Ava, Sophie. I LOVE YOU ALL!

To my Brandy and Jazzy:  Thank you for the tail wags, nose nudges, and unconditional love; you left your paw prints in my heart.

To my pallbearers: Stephen Dohan, Steven Solodiuk, Wayne Parsons, Don Fyk, Brian Tansley, and Owen Green: thank you for your love and support.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, April 30, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. at Northview Funeral Home and Cremation Centre, 1490 Highbury Avenue North, London with the funeral service to follow at 12:00 p.m. A reception will be held immediately after the funeral service at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, those wishing to make a memorial donation in my memory, please consider the Verspeeten Family Cancer Centre.

Cancer is a powerful enemy.  This disease threatens to rob us of our health, our energy, our vitality, and our sense of well-being, but it cannot cripple love, it cannot shatter hope, it cannot corrode faith, it cannot kill friendship. One more thing that Cancer can’t do, is separate us from God.

I am not saying goodbye but instead till we meet again!