Donald ‘Don’ Morrison passed away peacefully at the age of ninety-six years, on Tuesday, December 27, 2022, surrounded by his loving family members. Don was born on June 10, 1926, on the farm where his parents, Malcolm and Isabelle homesteaded when they arrived from Scotland, after World War One. Don was the third of five children. At the tender age of fourteen, Don was tasked with taking on the roles of managing the farm and helping his mom with the siblings, after his father and older brother went to serve overseas in World War II. This required him to leave school and work full time on the farm. It was then that he became a real Alberta farmer. Don was mentored by friends and neighbors, and by the time he was a young man, he took over from his dad and started to develop and grow the small parcel of land that his dad bought as a Veteran’s settlement package. In 1949, Don met the love of his life, Nadine, a beautiful single teacher at the Poplar Ridge School. They were married in 1950 and went on to be parents to six children. Don and Nadine were an integral part of the rural Shady Nook Community, and together, they served in many roles in that community; from President, to peeling and cooking potatoes for community suppers. At a very young age, Don developed an (unusual) interest in music, and acquired a violin (better known as a fiddle) which he learned to play without a single lesson. He was able to hook up with a couple of other farmers (and a used car salesman) to form the old-time dance band – the Sod Busters. They had a passion for playing for community dances around central Alberta and became the go-to band for a good time. Don was well known for his ability to call a mean square dance. Don worked tirelessly to keep the family farm working and growing, even through the leanest years. He tried lots of different avenues, from beef to poultry to swine, and eventually settled on grain farming. He was able to gradually acquire more land and equipment, and the Morrison farm began to thrive. In addition to the activities in the Shady Nook community, Don was well known for his curling shenanigans at the annual Farmers Bonspiel, his love of old-time music, his Scottish heritage, and of course, his never-ending love of a good party with family, friends and neighbors. In his later years, Don was pleased to see the farm grow and thrive under his watchful eye. He always had a keen interest in what was happening, wanting to know which fields were seeded, which were looking good, and, if any field was in the pathway of a hailstorm. His greatest pleasure was watching the combines leave the yard on a beautiful fall day. Don will be lovingly remembered and very much missed by his six children, Pat (Sandy), Daryl (Lorraine), Marg (John), Michael (Connie), Carole (Don), and Ross (Melanie). He will also be sadly missed by his sixteen grandchildren, Jennifer, Erin (Ryland), Carrie, Tara (Corey), Melissa (Pari), Krista, Kayla (Bo), Becky (Cory), Michael (Sherry), Sheila, Laura, Colin (Kelsey), Greg, Ashley (Jeremy), Theresa (Manu), Monica (Micah), and his fifteen great grandchildren Kailer, McKenna, Lochlan, Kalem, Lanakai, Karl, Memphis, Prem, Kevin, Ava, Freyja, Logan, Ayla, Brody, Brock, Mia. Don was predeceased by his loving wife of sixty-six years, Nadine, and his grandson, Scott. Funeral Mass will be Celebrated at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 5508 – 48 Avenue, Red Deer, Alberta on Thursday, January 5, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. Cremation entrusted to Parkland Funeral Home and Crematorium, Red Deer, Alberta. If desired, and in lieu of flowers, Memorial Donations in Don’s honor may be made directly to the Red Deer Regional Hospital Foundation at rdrhfoundation.com. Condolences, memories and photos may be shared and viewed at www.parklandfuneralhome.com

Parkland Funeral Home and Crematorium (Red Deer)

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• Date : 2023-01-02
• Location : www.ParklandFuneralHome.com & www.HeartlandFuneralServices.com