Obituary of Douglas Harry Wilde

Dad passed away peacefully at the Regina General Hospital on Tuesday, June 11, 2019 after a short illness at the age of 95 years. He was predeceased by his wife Shirley in 2013; his parents Mabel and Harry Wilde; brothers Stanley Wilde, Charlie Wilde, Nelson Wilde, and Harold Wilde; sister Edna Bryden; and son-in-law Ken Camphaug. Dad is survived by his brother Vernon Wilde;  sisters Marie MacLean and Joyce Scott; his three children, sons Dale (Edna) Wilde and Barry (Donna) Wilde and daughter Shawna Camphaug; seven grandchildren, Cathy Wilde (Alex), Karin Hack (Reed), Micheal Camphaug (Lesley), Brett Wilde (Amanda), Laurie Grant (Ken), Shannon Sluser (Lee), and Steve Wilde (Joanna);  thirteen great-grandchildren, Dimas,  Josie, Charlie, Henry, Schay, Blake, Rayne, Hayden, Rayah, Nola, Wyatt, Colton, and Mya. Dad was born on January 2, 1924 on the family farm near Richmond, Saskatchewan and attended school in Richmond up to Grade 12. Motivated by a wonderful teacher Clarence Cantrell, Dad entered the University of Saskatchewan and graduated with a Bachelor of Agriculture Degree in 1947.  His first job was with the Provincial Department of Agriculture as an Agricultural Representative in Ogema, Saskatchewan. Dad worked with Agriculture until 1957 and then joined SaskPower where he worked until his retirement in 1983. Mom and Dad were married in March, 1948 and were very happily married for 65 years. In the course of their years together, they lived in Ogema from 1948 to 1950, Regina from 1950 to 1952, Saskatoon from 1952 to 1957, Regina again from 1957 to 1977, on the farm near Tregarva, Saskatchewan from 1977 to 1991, and Blind Bay, British Columbia from 1991 to 2006 at which time they returned to Regina. Dad was truly a remarkable man. He made time for people, whether family, friends or colleagues.  He valued people in a way that is very hard to describe. If you knew Doug Wilde you were better for the experience.  At the end of his life, Dad had a 50 year old mind, a 50 year old heart and a 95 year old back. His glass was always half full and he never dwelled on negativity. He was extremely knowledgeable about world issues and politics. Dad’s assessment of a situation was usually right on. There wasn’t much Dad couldn’t do when he decided on a course of action. He tackled projects others couldn’t visualize. Whether it was building grandfather clocks, landscaping a mountain backyard, or starting a small farm from scratch, Dad viewed each challenge with unbelievable patience and determination. But maybe Dad’s greatest strength was his love for his family. He was the ultimate father; a solid foundation for the family to lean on in troubling times.  He was extremely proud of his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren and loved to hear stories about their lives. And they were very, very proud of him. A good day for Dad involved having his family around him. His sense of humor and his smile will be missed, but remembered always by a great many people. In keeping with his wishes, there will be no funeral. A private celebration of Dad’s life will be held at a later date. The family would like to express our eternal gratitude to Dr. Cheryl Zagozeski for the kindness and friendship she showed  Dad as well as her medical knowledge.  Friends wishing to honor his memory are invited to make a donation to the Regina Humane Society, P.O. Box 3143, Regina, Sask.  S4P3G7.