Obituary of Don Lafleur

LAFLEUR, Donald Florent 

Passed away peacefully surrounded by family on September 10, 2019. He was 72 years old. Don was a loving husband to Nancy and father to his children, Michelle (Joel) of Tampa, FL and Don (Nancy) of Hamilton, ON. He was the most devoted and loving grandfather “Biz” to Hannah, Wesley and Olivia. Don will be missed by his siblings Marie, Denise (Ron), Mike (Esper), and Sharron (Rick), sister-in-law Bernadette (Steve), many nieces, nephews, cousins and his life-long friend Jeff.  He is preceded in death by his parents, Kathleen and Florent; his sister Yvonne; and his angel granddaughter Amelia. Don was born on March 23, 1947 in Gatineau, QC and moved to Hamner, ON where he had an adventurous childhood with many friends, cousins, aunts and uncles. He moved to Hamilton and attended Delta Secondary School. At the age of 18, Don started working at Dofasco and proudly worked there for 28 years. From 1993 to 2009, Don had a very busy second career at ABB where his work had him travelling extensively, proudly putting thousands of kilometers on his always clean Pathfinder and BMWs. Constantly seeking to better himself, he took many courses at Mohawk College and through ABB while working full time. Don was a devoted employee who was happy to work overtime and help his family and friends with hundreds of electrical projects. An active and dedicated Executive Member and coach at Dofasco Minor Hockey, Don impacted the lives of many young people with his enthusiasm and supportive demeanor. After his retirement, Don’s mobility was greatly challenged as Parkinson’s Disease took its toll. Throughout it all, Nancy made sure that Don enjoyed daily outings and had the joy of many many good meals. In July, Don’s body could no longer fight the progression of his illness and he was hospitalized and placed in hospice care. The family is grateful for the outstanding care that Don received and would like to thank Dr. Kronby, Dr. Attar, Darren Arbic and the staff at Stoney Creek Physiotherapy, Dr. Brandt Vegas, and the nursing staff at St. Joseph’s. Special thanks to everyone at Emmanuel House for making Don’s final weeks so very wonderful, surrounding him and his family with the best care and loving support imaginable - you all will be forever in their hearts. Don passed away peacefully at Emmanuel House Hospice after a long and difficult 14 years with Parkinson’s Disease. He will be remembered as an extremely hard worker with an infectious laugh, unending sense of humor and a source of unconditional love and support for everyone. His grandchildren have been forever impacted by his gentle, loving, fun and patient demeanor. He will be deeply missed. Cremation has taken place. There will be no public service. If you wish to do so, donations can be made in Don’s memory to Good Shepherd Emmanuel House Hospice and Palliative Services or a charity of your choice. Online condolences and notes of sympathy may be left at www.donaldvbrown.ca