DOUGLAS MALCOLM MACDONALD

August 14, 1946 – February 11, 2025 Twin, husband, father, grandfather, engineer, avid Mr. Fix it and lover of good chocolate. Doug was a solid standup person; one of those who are the backbone of a family and a community. He loved his wife and family and adored teaching his children (Ewen and Kyla) to ride their bikes, cross country ski, swim at the cottage, and skate on the canal in Ottawa. He loved reading bedtime stories but mixing them up to make his children laugh. He was delighted to have grandchildren and time to play. He greatly enjoyed observing the world through their eyes and helping them figure out how everything worked. He was a punster, especially with his children and then grandchildren. His values were clear early on. He was a quiet but steadfast activist for gay rights in the 80's and 90's and supported Indigenous rights starting in the early 2000's as a United Church observer at Burnt Church NB when local fishers were harassing fishers from the local reserve. He was Mr. Fix it. When his daughter, Kyla, was 5, a friend accidentally broke her doll and the head came off. Instead of getting upset, Kyla's reaction was "It's ok, my Daddy can fix anything." And of course, Doug fixed it. He loved family get-togethers and cherished visits from friends and family. He brought his engineering training to the kitchen, where measurements were to be taken seriously. Whether it was making granola or cookies: if you took a raisin out of the measuring cup, you were changing the recipe. Precision mattered. Over 30 years, Doug worked for Bell Canada, Bell Northern Research, and Nortel, mostly in Ottawa. In 1999, he retired and moved to Halifax. After retiring, his earlier enthusiasm for collecting and restoring antique radios grew. Doug adored planning and making the drawings for their condo in Halifax and then watching it being built. Many of his suggestions, such as lever door handles and higher wall plugs, were incorporated into other units by the developer. A major contribution to the community in Halifax was his gift of time to prepare and submit tax returns for those with low incomes, particularly the elderly and those experiencing homelessness. Initially, he volunteered with Access Nova Scotia. While there he recognized that several financial supports, such as HST rebates, require a tax return to be filed, and many people who are marginalized were not able to access them. To help address this, he started the income tax return program at Brunswick St Mission and at Northwood Seniors Residence. By the time he stepped down, he had prepared and submitted more than 23,000 tax returns, all for free and all for those who needed help. He also helped the Canada Revenue Agency come to understand the importance of such programs for equity of access. In typical Doug fashion, he ensured the program continued with succession planning when he stepped down. For this work, Doug received the Sovereign's Medal from the Governor General in 2016 and a King Charles III Coronation Medal in 2025. Doug will be remembered for his intelligence, sense of humor (although not all appreciated his puns to the same extent he did), ability to "fix anything", courage in the face of adversity and his deep love for his family: wife and partner, Noni (55 years married); his children, Ewen (Alison) and Kyla; and his grandchildren, Frederick, Leo, Kevin and Joshua. At Doug's request, there will be no funeral nor celebration of life - we did that while he was alive. When asked about memorials and donations he said, "I am giving my body and brain to science - hope this will be useful." Instead of a service, he wanted people who knew him to share memories with others and pass along acts of kindness. As Doug said many times, he lived a wonderful and full life. He will be greatly missed. His family is grateful for all the support he received from family and friends both near and far, from his healthcare team and the Medical Assistance in Dying team all of whom helped him live life with dignity and serenity. Douglas Malcolm MacDonald was the son of Richard Malcolm MacDonald and Sybil Isabel Frappier; with siblings, Larry (Valerie), his twin Lewis (Maryanne), Garth (Debbie), Fairlie (Dave), Shelley, and Lelia (Chris).