Don WHITELEY

WHITELEY, Don
August 28, 1946 - June 2, 2014
After an adventurous, productive and full life, Don left us on June 2, 2014. He leaves behind the love of his life, Diane, his beloved son, Garth, grandchildren Ashly and Kyler, sister Sandra, as well as a niece, nephews, cousins and their families. He will also be missed by his many friends, with whom he loved to laugh, hike and ski. Don was a skilled outdoorsman who spent all his free time hiking, backpacking, mountain biking, backcountry, cross-country and downhill skiing with Diane. Don was an award-winning journalist, a freelance writer and, most recently, an instructor at SFU Continuing Studies. He began his career working the sports beat at the Boston Globe as a Northeastern University co-op student. After graduation, Don and Diane immigrated to Canada. The wild west of Calgary beckoned. Don worked first for the Calgary Albertan, then CFAC and then for many years at the Calgary Herald where he greatly enjoyed covering the City Hall beat. In the late 1970s, Don and Diane escaped the workaday world and headed to Worsley, Alberta in the Clear Hills area of Peace River country. They built a cabin by hand on their $100 an acre quarter section and spent a year living there, embracing the call of the wild. Their next stop was Ottawa where Don pursued his career as a journalist on the City Hall beat at the Ottawa Citizen. They soon realized, however, that the west with its mountains and wild places was home for them. They moved to Vancouver, and Don joined the Vancouver Sun where he worked on the business beat for many years. For a change of pace, Don left the Sun to become manager for UBC's Community Relations department. After a few years there, Don opted for self-employment as a freelance journalist and writer. He also worked part-time in the SFU Continuing Studies Writing and Communications program and became one of the most popular and respected instructors in it. The Celebration of Life for Don will be on Thursday, June 12, 2014 at 2:00 p.m. at First Memorial Funeral Services, 1505 Lillooet Road, North Vancouver. Family, friends and colleagues are invited to a Reception at the family home in Deep Cove after the Celebration of Life. In lieu of flowers, donations in Don's name to the BC Chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada would be appreciated. To donate by phone directly to the BC Chapter and to ensure the donation is in Don's name, call 604-733-2873 ext. 5195 and ask for Bianca.