October 2, 1945 - April 7, 2021
THE "TOY LADY" HAS PASSED AWAY ~ It saddens me to report that my dear wife of 54 years Donalda Laurie Whaites has passed away after losing her battle with cancer. Among much other volunteer work, she especially loved her role as Toy Coordinator of the 91原创 Christmas Bureau, volunteering at the Sources 91原创 Food Bank and one of the organizers of the Christmas Wish breakfast.
As well as myself, she is survived by daughters Kim (Chris) and Nikki, and son Craig (Kim) as well as grandchildren Tyson, Dylan, Izzy, to whom she will
always be"Nana"and Jim.
She was a consummate educator. She first taught in Vancouver, then Tennessee and North Carolina. (the latter two in the very early days of integration). Her rural-school Special-Needs classroom was listed as number one in the list of "100 educational places to see in North Carolina".
She retired in 2005 after many years as principal in Surrey. She was once introduced to the members of the BC Legislature by (then) Minister Penny Priddy as "One of Surrey's best-known and respected educators".
Donalda and I had an adventurous life, two things stand out: backpacking from Europe to India and back on less than $5 a day, and two summers touring Europe in a camper van with Kim and Nikki. Donalda has impacted the lives of a number of people, many of whom have contacted her when they found out she was ill.
She loved people and always wanted to help. Her passing has left a huge hole in all our hearts, one that can never be filled. "We will miss her" comes nowhere near to saying how we feel, but then, no words can.
- Barry Whaites