Obituary of Donald Herman Jackson

Please click here to view the livestream of the service

JACKSON, Donald Herman

November 3, 1940 – May 17, 2021

Dad passed away peacefully in Palliative Care at the Pasqua Hospital. 

Very quietly, he lived with many stages of cancer for 16 years.  Even on the hardest days Dad demonstrated tremendous courage and strength;  always putting family and friends first. We who experienced his presence during these difficult times are humbled by his strength.  The passion with which he lived his life, and the love that he gave us even while struggling are an inspiration to us all.

Dad’s spirit lives on in our memories and in our hearts. He was cherished by all, and will be dearly missed by his family and friends. Everyone who met Dad will never forget the unique connection they shared with him. 

Don was predeceased by his father Thomas Jackson; mother Emma Jackson (nee Miller); infant brother Dwayne; older brother Leroy; father-in-law Armand Boucher; mother-in-law Marguerite Boucher (nee Laliberte); and brother-in-law Dennis Laliberte.

Don will be dearly missed by his wife of 61 years Gemma Jackson; daughters Debra (Mauro) Montanini and Comena (Wayne) Hudy; grandchildren: Michelle (Travis Brown) Montanini-Brown, Jordan Welch (Connie Haw), Daniel (Tiffany) Welch, Nikki Perala (Mitch Ring), Amanda (Scott) Bruce, Matteo Montanini, Tyrel Perala, Brayden and Wyatt Hudy; great-grandchildren: Ebanie Boyd, Ayvarie Haw, Jayden George, Loula Maisey, Malia and Taelyn Montanini-Brown and Freya Welch; great-great-grandchildren Athena and Ares Boyd.

Don is survived by his brothers Garry (Betty) Jackson, Bob (Anne) Jackson and Dave (Angie) Jackson; In-laws Bev Jackson, Ray (Connie) Boucher, Diane Laliberte, and Eleonore (Gaylen) Smith; and many, many nieces and nephews.

A Private Funeral Service will be held on Tuesday, May 25, 2021 at 1:00 p.m.  To view the livestream of the service please click on the link above on the day of the service.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Allan Blair Cancer Clinic.  The family extends sincere and heartfelt thanks to the staff and doctors on 3A, Palliative Care at the Pasqua Hospital, Palliative Care Home Services and the Allan Blair Cancer Clinic. The deep compassion, care and respect given to Dad (and our family) during his treatment and preparation to depart this life will never be forgotten.

DAD - Donald Herman Jackson - Eulogy

Dad was born in Moose Jaw on November 3, 1940.  He lived his early years on the farm with Grandma and Grandpa Jackson (Tom & Emma) and went to school at Edgeworth often getting there by horseback or horse and buggy.  His first day of school involved Grandpa taking him there pushing him in the door and locking it behind him.  That was an inkling of how Dad’s school years would go with him really not wanting to go to school and preferring to stay home and work on the farm.  His schooling ended in Grade 8 when he stopped attending and began working full time with Grandpa on the farm.  I suspect no one knew at that time (including him) that he was dyslexic but he figured it out and during the later years of his career he surrounded himself with people who could support him in his writing endeavors. 

At the age of 14 dad moved to Regina and took a job driving a tow truck. Dad always had a good chuckle reminiscing about arriving at an accident scene to tow a car where he would be greeted by the police who had no idea he didn’t have a driver’s license. Dad had many jobs before he found his calling in direct sales.  Dad repaired refrigerators with Refrigeration Installation where he made a lifelong friend Harvey MacDonald; he worked with Grainmaster selling truck boxes and subsequently with Filter Queen, Central Vacuums and Conklin Products doing direct sales.   Dad tells the story of his first trip on the road selling Filter Queen vacuums, when he had to sleep in his car until he sold his first vacuum so he had enough money to get a hotel room.  That’s living the dream...

Dad always loved to share his stories of how he would close the sale, many times by taking something on trade.  Dad was a collector of guns and acquired some of his most treasured guns throughout this time.  Dad was very successful as a salesman and eventually took over Filter Queen as President of Western Canada.  He also became involved in a chemical company called Conklin where he expanded his leadership role and took his mentoring to a whole new level. Lonnie Anderson and Ralph Latta worked with dad throughout these years. Dad would tell stories of recruiting staff anytime anywhere.  He told a story of recruiting Glen Kozar (now a family friend) as he picketed outside of Wheaton Chev Olds.  Like I said anytime anywhere! Mentoring others was always an integral part of who dad was.  He saw potential in others that no one else did, even them. Dad championed the underdog, always helping them attain goals they never dreamt of. From the people he would employ, rent to or meet along the way, he was always trying to make a difference in people's lives. Dad made many lifelong friends during these years.

In 1957 Dad met his true love and future wife, our Mom, Gemma Boucher.  Their meeting was due to an agreement between him and his cousin Dennis who was dating mom’s sister Diane.  Dad said he would take Uncle Dennis to Radville to see Aunty Diane if he would arrange for Dad to have a date with one of her sisters.  Both of those dates ended with the couples getting married.

Mom and Dad lived in Regina where we were born.  Deb in 1961 and myself in 1962.  They moved to Saskatoon for a short while for Dad’s work and then returned to Regina where they lived until dad realized his childhood dream of moving back to the farm.  Dad loved working on the farm with grandpa.  We spent summer holidays and weekends from spring until fall every year until 1976 when we moved permanently to the farm.  In 1995 mom and dad purchased the Holden farm near where dad grew up.  Owning and living on the Holden farm was a dream of Dad’s since he was a young boy.  Dreams do come true with hard work!

Mom and Dad started One Stop Vacuum Centres in 1966 and ran the business until 2018 when they sold to a local family.  They started the business in a small store that was squeezed in between a tv repair shop and a hair salon on 11th Avenue.  In the years that followed they took over a competitor’s business, employed upwards of 12 people at a time and purchased the two buildings spanning the entire block on 11th Avenue.  During the 50 years of operation 1 Stop won numerous Consumer’s Choice Awards and became a household name for vacuum and cleaning supplies.  Mom was always actively involved with dad's endeavors, she was the family anchor, always providing him a safe place to land after his work travels.  She was also instrumental in the success of his businesses.

Dad seemed to know everyone.  No matter where we went he would always run into someone he knew whether it was in a shopping mall or when we travelled.  A memory of our travels was having to stop at every farm implement dealership to see what they had for inventory.  We dreaded those stops that were supposed to be “just for a minute” and an hour later we would get back on the road. 

Dad traveled a lot with work, however when he was home with us we had his full attention. Family vacations were very important to him.  From our annual trips to Waskesui spending time with extended family to our summers following the exhibition circuit so dad could check in on the vendors displaying Filter Queen.  These were treasured times for all of us.  We also spent a great deal of time with Dad and Mom’s families.  Because of their commitment to family we grew up with large extended family gatherings; always exploring and hanging out with our cousins, enjoying a house filled with the smell of delicious food cooking and time spent with Grandpa, Grandma and Aunties and Uncles.   

Dad was a great teacher, always patient and encouraging. He always attended our sporting activities and even got involved in coaching our ball teams.  Our team name was the DJ’s!  To him, it was never about the competition but all about the teamwork!  He always took every opportunity to teach us life lessons about relationships, how to read people, forgiveness and taking the high moral ground.

Dad had a love of flying and one of his biggest regrets was not becoming a fighter pilot.  He was unable to join the air force due to his lack of education. Later in life dad did pursue his pilot’s licence and later bought his own plane.  Some exciting times came in 1981 when dad and his good friend Cliff Erickson had to make an emergency landing on the highway outside of Calgary due to inclement weather which had created some issues with the carburetor.  Dad made the front page of the Calgary Sun! The times of he and mom traveling in his plane were some of his favorite memories.  Unfortunately health issues caused dad to give up his love of flying and sell his plane.

Dad had a passion for history of wars, guns, old and new. Dad collected many guns over the years and he took great pride in his collection.  It was not uncommon for dad to take in movies, museums and novels on this subject. Dad shot competition handgun for many years at the RCMP depot and competed at matches in Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and into the states. Throughout this time dad made many dear friends including Bryce Miles, Robin Gomes, Greg Whittal and Ed Shore to name a few.  Dad’s love of wine and beer was also shared by some of these friends so it was not uncommon to find them spending an afternoon putting down a batch of wine or beer and then sharing a meal of buffalo chicken wings.  We will continue to enjoy the fruits of his labor because Dad left us with a healthy supply of well aged wine.  Cheers Dad!!

Dad loved to fish! As kids he took us fishing on the Hart Lakes in Waskesiu, he didn't get to fish much because he was too busy baiting our hooks and helping us reel in fish. Then he had the job of filleting the fish and Mom would do a fish fry.  So delicious. 

Dad loved his northern fishing trips with the guys. There were always to do lists and tackle was checked many times over to make sure he had everything he needed, oh yes then checked again! Dad looked forward to the comradery with his friends as much as he did the fishing! In the last few years Comena’s husband Wayne enjoyed these fishing trips with dad and the guys too, memories he will forever treasure.

Dad was a long time Saskatchewan Roughriders season ticket holder hosting the best ever Grey Cup parties.  Dad involved his family in his love of the Riders including time spent with grandchildren and with us.  Deb and Mauro became season ticket holders, and his granddaughter Nikki and fiance Mitch attended many games with dad and have taken over his season tickets.

When mom and dad were married he converted to catholicism.  His involvement with the church led him to the Knights of Columbus of which he was a long time member. Dad and Dan Devers (today’s reader for the service) attained their 3rd and 4th degree knight status together.  Dad would be humbled and touched by the Knights of Columbus Honorary Guard standing watch at the church for today’s service.

Dad loved being with his grandchildren and great grandchildren. He was always eager to share his life experiences with them.  Whether it was at family suppers, attending birthday parties, sporting events or just hanging out he always loved being with them and being involved in their lives.  Dad celebrated the achievements and pursuits of his family, often getting involved in their activities as a helper, purchasing tickets or attending as a guest.  He was always so proud of his family. 

Dad pursued his interests in travel, and was keen to continuously reconnect with members of the extended Jackson and Boucher families who lived throughout North America and England.  Another dream of his was realized when Dad and Mom travelled to England to meet with cousins who he had never met.  They remained in contact even as Dad’s health declined.

Dad took exceptional care of his health and was physically active up until his cancer made it too difficult. He maintained a membership at the YMCA for 30 years from which a group formed calling themselves The Bears.  This group of guys would gather for breakfasts after their workouts making the daily visits to the Y not just about fitness; but about nurturing friendships; many of which continued up until his passing.

Dad was a man that believed in hard work and first impressions.  He did his best no matter what and expected that of others around him.  Whether it was keeping his farm implements clean and lined up, being impeccably dressed or running 1 Stop Vacuums he had a high expectation for himself and those around him.  When we were kids and we got out of line Dad never raised his voice at us.  Rather, he would say come sit down and let’s have a chat. Dad would talk to us about morals and values and doing the right thing.  About the impacts of decisions we were making and how that might affect us down the road.  We used to joke about it saying we wished he had just raised his voice at that time but, as we look back we now we are better people for having had ‘those chats”.

As we reflect on Dad’s life we are forever grateful for the extra time we had with him.  We know he could have left us in 2002 when he had seven bypass heart surgery to save his life.  Then, in 2005 we learned of his Non-hodgkin's lymphoma cancer which lay mostly dormant until 2019.  The last 18 months were a very trying time for Dad but even on his hardest days he demonstrated tremendous courage and strength; always putting family and friends first. His determination to live his best life has set the bar high for those of us following in his footsteps. The passion with which he lived his life, and the love that he gave us even while struggling is an inspiration to us all.

Dad’s spirit lives on in our memories and in our hearts.  He was cherished by all, and will be dearly missed by his family and friends.  When he spoke with you, it felt like you were the only person in the room and that he was completely committed to your discussion.  Everyone who met Dad will never forget the unique connection they shared with him. 

Dad, your time spent with each of us has created an everlasting impact.  The world is a better place for you having been in it.  Your light and spirit will live on forever.  We love you.