Obituary for Donald Paul Akitt
Our fabulous father, Donald Paul Akitt, died in his sleep on the morning of December 30, 2022 at St. Joseph’s Long-Term Care Residence in Guelph. He is survived by: his much-loved daughters, Sherlynn (Joseph), Sandra (Timothy) and Beth (Patrick); his 4 grandchildren, Jonathan, Helen, Elsa and Nerissa; and his brother David (Marion).
Donald was predeceased by: his two wonderful, deeply loved wives, Betty Jane (Ringwall) and Leslie (Crawley Irwin); his parents Richard and Alice (Newton); his sister Rosina; and three of his brothers, Carl, Robert and Bruce.
Born in Drumheller, Alberta in 1938, he moved with his family to a farm near Eckville and then on his own to Edmonton to study at the University of Alberta. While working on his undergraduate degree, he spent summers in Montreal and Aylmer (Air Force Reserves) and Waterloo as a research assistant.
After graduating with a BSc in Engineering Physics, he moved to Urbana to attend the University of Illinois and earn a Masters and PhD in Electrical Engineering. Moves for work took him and his family to Vancouver (professor at UBC), back to Urbana (professor at the University of Illinois) and to Ottawa (NRC research scientist). While living in Ottawa he switched tracks, becoming a pastor at Greenbelt Baptist Church and completing a Masters in Christian Studies at Regent College part-time. In 1994 he moved to Stratford, Ontario to become the pastor at Memorial Baptist Church. Later, retired and back in Ottawa, he worked as a pastoral assistant at St. Peter & St. Paul’s Anglican Church.
As evidenced by his educational activities and careers, our dad liked to study, teach (his graduate students, his children, his congregations), learn and read. From reading us The Hobbit in the evenings, to introducing us to science fiction through Analog magazine, to action adventure, to political and historical biographies and to even the occasional romance in later years – there weren’t too many books that didn’t capture his interest.
He also liked to be physically active and kept this up his whole life – fencing, gymnastics, bike riding, golf, downhill and cross-country skiing, jogging, canoeing, sailing, kayaking, ballroom dancing, walking and whizzing around the halls of St. Joe’s in his wheelchair. And he kept busy with his many hobbies and interests – woodworking, bridge, board games, word games, gliding, astronomy, butterflies, sewing, cooking, photography, playing the flute, calligraphy, camping, long driving trips, travelling and cruises to Europe, etc.
While our dad could come across as abrupt and quiet to some, when he wasn’t in a hurry or frustrated by his hearing difficulties in later years, he always enjoyed meeting new people, talking to almost anyone, helping out where he could and taking care of his family. And what never stopped, even when aphasia frustrated his attempts at communication, was his warm welcoming smile.
A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00am, Saturday, February 25, 2023 at Arlington Woods Free Methodist Church, 225 McClellan Road, Ottawa. In the summer, Donald’s ashes will be buried next to Betty Jane’s in Highland Park Cemetery, Fernitosh, Alberta.
Donald was predeceased by: his two wonderful, deeply loved wives, Betty Jane (Ringwall) and Leslie (Crawley Irwin); his parents Richard and Alice (Newton); his sister Rosina; and three of his brothers, Carl, Robert and Bruce.
Born in Drumheller, Alberta in 1938, he moved with his family to a farm near Eckville and then on his own to Edmonton to study at the University of Alberta. While working on his undergraduate degree, he spent summers in Montreal and Aylmer (Air Force Reserves) and Waterloo as a research assistant.
After graduating with a BSc in Engineering Physics, he moved to Urbana to attend the University of Illinois and earn a Masters and PhD in Electrical Engineering. Moves for work took him and his family to Vancouver (professor at UBC), back to Urbana (professor at the University of Illinois) and to Ottawa (NRC research scientist). While living in Ottawa he switched tracks, becoming a pastor at Greenbelt Baptist Church and completing a Masters in Christian Studies at Regent College part-time. In 1994 he moved to Stratford, Ontario to become the pastor at Memorial Baptist Church. Later, retired and back in Ottawa, he worked as a pastoral assistant at St. Peter & St. Paul’s Anglican Church.
As evidenced by his educational activities and careers, our dad liked to study, teach (his graduate students, his children, his congregations), learn and read. From reading us The Hobbit in the evenings, to introducing us to science fiction through Analog magazine, to action adventure, to political and historical biographies and to even the occasional romance in later years – there weren’t too many books that didn’t capture his interest.
He also liked to be physically active and kept this up his whole life – fencing, gymnastics, bike riding, golf, downhill and cross-country skiing, jogging, canoeing, sailing, kayaking, ballroom dancing, walking and whizzing around the halls of St. Joe’s in his wheelchair. And he kept busy with his many hobbies and interests – woodworking, bridge, board games, word games, gliding, astronomy, butterflies, sewing, cooking, photography, playing the flute, calligraphy, camping, long driving trips, travelling and cruises to Europe, etc.
While our dad could come across as abrupt and quiet to some, when he wasn’t in a hurry or frustrated by his hearing difficulties in later years, he always enjoyed meeting new people, talking to almost anyone, helping out where he could and taking care of his family. And what never stopped, even when aphasia frustrated his attempts at communication, was his warm welcoming smile.
A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00am, Saturday, February 25, 2023 at Arlington Woods Free Methodist Church, 225 McClellan Road, Ottawa. In the summer, Donald’s ashes will be buried next to Betty Jane’s in Highland Park Cemetery, Fernitosh, Alberta.