Don GOODWIN

DON GOODWIN Arrived in Toronto June 24, 1930. Departed from Niagara-on-the-Lake August 21, 2018. He was a great man, and he lived a beautiful life. Kindness was his hallmark, delivered with grace and charm. Don will be remembered for his extraordinary gift for communication. When he spoke, there was calm and there was clarity. And he was a master at the art of gathering. When he orchestrated an event, it was purposeful and delightful and memorable. He valued public broadcasting, music and theatre, and sports - tennis in particular. He had a lifelong soft spot for Canada's highland regiments, especially the Toronto Scottish and the Black Watch. He was endlessly curious and never stopped learning. Ukulele was added latterly and brought great joy. Don had great strength of character and will, but it coexisted with a soft and gracious temperament and manner. His courage, wisdom and dignity lived comfortably with his serendipity and his gentle wit. Pancreatic cancer was a miserable burden, but he lived each day fully in spite of it. He is survived by an adoring wife, two devoted sons (and loving daughters-in-law) and four stellar grandsons. Add to that list a legion of friends and colleagues, and a cherished brother-in- law on a llama farm in New Zealand. Don experienced the setbacks and sadnesses of an ordinary life, none greater than the devastating loss of a firstborn son at the tender age of 23. Boundless gratitude and appreciation are extended to Dr. Karen Berti, who orchestrated our brilliant Niagara medical care resources with the utmost compassion, skill and professionalism. We're all better for our encounters with Don's exquisite way of being. May the warm glow in our memories linger long. Remembrances and condolences will be gratefully received at P.O. Box 1074 Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario L0S 1J0. Don Goodwin was a very private man despite a lifetime spent mostly in the public eye. The foregoing is the way we believe he would want to be remembered, but there are "facts and figures" as well. By the time Don became part of the CBC in Halifax in the early 1950s, it was a perfect match. He proceeded to build an exemplary career as an on-air personality and as an executive, but is best known for his 23 days as anchor of both the 6:00 Toronto newscast and The National at 10:00 in April 1989. The plan was simply to keep the programs going until a labour dispute could be quickly settled, but audience response to Don's hosting of the news was so warm that "cult hero" became a headline. An amazing take-a-bow moment as Don made his final on-air appearance. Side by side with his broadcasting career, Don was deeply involved in the promotion and development of amateur sport in Canada. He was a prime mover for the creation of the Canada Games, and was fully hands-on when the first summer edition was hosted in Halifax-Dartmouth in 1969. Don's commitment to the Olympic Games led to his being deputy Chef de Mission (along with Dick Pound) for the Canadian team at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, following which he led the team as Chef for the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck. As Head of Sports, he managed the CBC's role of host broadcaster for the 1976 Olympics in Montreal and greatly expanded the domestic broadcast schedule. Many other major sports events populated the years. You name it, he was there! - delete Don credits former Davis Cup player Peter Burwash with igniting his passion for tennis. 'Peter Burwash International' has been a leading tennis management company in the world for over 40 years, with countless young coaches trained and students taught. Don mentored a great many of those coaches and was intensely proud to see them grow and prosper in their profession. Canada's international showcase tennis event, now known as the Rogers Cup, benefitted from Don's unique Master of Ceremonies talents for over 35 years. When it was time for another voice on centre court, Tennis Canada honoured him in 2014 with a place in the Rogers Cup Hall of Fame. Through the years, he mentored many young staffers at the tournaments, encouraging and supporting them to expand their goals. Those Master of Ceremonies skills reached their widest audience in 1996 when Don was the announcer for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies at the Atlanta Olympics. Around the world TV sets were tuned in with viewers perking up in surprise at the unmistakable sound of the Goodwin voice they knew so well. Some noticed a slight quiver as he read "Canada" and our national team entered the stadium. As a theatre-lover, Don had the highest respect for producers of world-class events. Two such producers, John Beddington and John Nimick, insisted on Don being the voice of their tennis and squash events in order to surround and infuse them with the quality sound and style he brought. The Royal Albert Hall in London and Vanderbilt Hall in New York's Grand Central Terminal were among the venues where he worked his magic with them for many years. Together with George Gross, Don created Sports Media Canada, and then the annual SMC Awards for sports media excellence. Don aimed to cultivate and honour the highest standards for his chosen profession, and the annual event in a major downtown Toronto ballroom is called "the best lunch of the year" by regular attendees. There was much much more, for sure. As Will Carlin wrote in 2015 : The voice, when you really listen, is golden; the man, when you get to know him, is better.