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Don Vaughan Obituary
With great sadness, Patty, Jeff, and Mark Vaughan announce the passing of their husband and father, Don Vaughan. Family was everything to Don. His four granddaughters, Maia, Taylor, Kayley, and Keira, were a constant source of joy and meaning in his life and, by all accounts, his favourite people. He is remembered with love by his daughters-in-law, Niki and Michelle, his brothers, Denny (Lu Anne) and Mike, his sister Mary Jo (Tom), and his many nieces and nephews and their children.
Don was born and raised in Coos Bay, Oregon. After serving in the United States Navy, he enrolled at the University of Oregon, where his interest in design and the built environment came into focus. He graduated in 1965 with a degree in Landscape Architecture, marking the beginning of a career that would go on to redefine the profession in Canada.
After graduating, Don moved to Vancouver with his wife, Patty, to begin his professional career. Life was busy as Don embraced his chosen path, raised two young sons with Patty, and laid the foundation for a new way of thinking about landscape architecture. He had a love of creating, whether through sculpture, painting, glass blowing, or design, and an energy for life that showed up in everything he did. If you told Don something could not be done, he would take that as an invitation, and not only would he do it, he would do it well.
Over the past 15 years, that same energy carried into his personal pursuits. Finding the usual heart-healthy programs at the community centre uninspiring, Don discovered CrossFit, and training with James and Dan became a regular and important part of his life. Building strength, discipline, and resilience mattered to him, and he went on to take up competitive weightlifting, winning numerous awards and holding the British Columbia Masters Weightlifting record in his age category.
Over the course of his career, Don worked on numerous significant projects across British Columbia, helping to shape many of the public places people know and love today. Widely regarded as the Father of Landscape Architecture in British Columbia, his work was recognized with numerous awards, and he remained committed to teaching, mentoring, and giving back to the profession throughout his life.
Don will be remembered for his generosity, humility, sharp wit, and a lasting belief in people and the power of ideas. He was deeply respected and genuinely loved by those who knew him, qualities that defined both the man he was and the remarkable professional legacy he built.
Family mattered more to Don than anything else. He often said he had the best family. In every sense of the word, he was a builder of places, of professions, and of lives. His legacy lives on through the landscapes he shaped and the people he taught, mentored, inspired, and loved. Those who shared their lives with him are better for it.
A celebration of life will be held on February 15, from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m., at the West Vancouver Yacht Club.
Don was born and raised in Coos Bay, Oregon. After serving in the United States Navy, he enrolled at the University of Oregon, where his interest in design and the built environment came into focus. He graduated in 1965 with a degree in Landscape Architecture, marking the beginning of a career that would go on to redefine the profession in Canada.
After graduating, Don moved to Vancouver with his wife, Patty, to begin his professional career. Life was busy as Don embraced his chosen path, raised two young sons with Patty, and laid the foundation for a new way of thinking about landscape architecture. He had a love of creating, whether through sculpture, painting, glass blowing, or design, and an energy for life that showed up in everything he did. If you told Don something could not be done, he would take that as an invitation, and not only would he do it, he would do it well.
Over the past 15 years, that same energy carried into his personal pursuits. Finding the usual heart-healthy programs at the community centre uninspiring, Don discovered CrossFit, and training with James and Dan became a regular and important part of his life. Building strength, discipline, and resilience mattered to him, and he went on to take up competitive weightlifting, winning numerous awards and holding the British Columbia Masters Weightlifting record in his age category.
Over the course of his career, Don worked on numerous significant projects across British Columbia, helping to shape many of the public places people know and love today. Widely regarded as the Father of Landscape Architecture in British Columbia, his work was recognized with numerous awards, and he remained committed to teaching, mentoring, and giving back to the profession throughout his life.
Don will be remembered for his generosity, humility, sharp wit, and a lasting belief in people and the power of ideas. He was deeply respected and genuinely loved by those who knew him, qualities that defined both the man he was and the remarkable professional legacy he built.
Family mattered more to Don than anything else. He often said he had the best family. In every sense of the word, he was a builder of places, of professions, and of lives. His legacy lives on through the landscapes he shaped and the people he taught, mentored, inspired, and loved. Those who shared their lives with him are better for it.
A celebration of life will be held on February 15, from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m., at the West Vancouver Yacht Club.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Published by North Shore News from Feb. 11 to Mar. 13, 2026.
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