DAMPIER, David Blair - (January 6, 1944 – September 24, 2020)
David Blair Dampier was born on January 6, 1944. He lived in Toronto where he met his future wife Les in his mid-20s and raised a family. First and foremost, Dave was a loving family man with a lifelong thirst for knowledge.
Dave attended the University of Waterloo for political science and had dreams of becoming a teacher. Though he did not finish his formal teachers’ training, he still realized that dream through teaching his children all about the world.
He valued education and knowledge and was a wonderful and patient teacher, who strove to make learning fun. To him, learning was a privilege. He was always up for a good science experiment, (or any kind of experiment), and his inquisitive and spontaneous nature was contagious.
He was employed with Canada Post for 30 years and was a reliable, hardworking employee and a good provider for his family. He and Les also became property managers and landlords.
Dave was a lover of literature, history, and especially the English language. He followed the politics of the day and liked playing scrabble, cribbage, monopoly, chess and doing crossword puzzles. He was a voracious reader, a fountain of knowledge, as well as a walking thesaurus. He studied French, as he wanted his children to be bilingual. In his later years, when he was less mobile, he studied Spanish.
He loved biking and rode his bike everywhere. He liked sports and taught his children how to play many, instilling in them, lifelong healthy habits. He enjoyed various road trips with friends and family as well as walking in the nature trail.
Dave had a remarkable sense of humour and positive attitude, despite overcoming lifelong health issues. He was fun-loving, charming, funny, and intelligent, and could tell a pun like no other. He had a great smile and an infectious laugh. His kind heart and creativity permeated everything he did. He was especially entertaining as a storyteller and singer. He was generous, and affectionate.
David was predeceased by his beloved mother Vivian, (nee Noseworthy), his father Thomas, and his younger sister Judy.
He is survived by his loving wife and partner in life of 50 years, Leslie, his devoted daughters Diana, (Tom), and Kim, (Aron), his cherished son Dylan, (Patricia) and his six wonderful grandchildren, Kya, Bailey, James, Avalon, Ryan and Eric. Their love will help to fill the void. He is also survived by his loving Stepmother Kay, his brother Bill, (Polly), his sister Jan, (Tom), his niece Megan, (Chilu), and his nephew Evan.
The family is especially grateful for the exceptional care David received over the past 5 years from his home support team. They also want to thank the ICU staff at Michael Garron Hospital who were attentive and supportive in his last days.
He was a unique and adored man who will be forever missed and cherished by his beloved family and loyal friends.
Arrangements with Giffen-Mack funeral home, Danforth chapel, Toronto. A private celebration of David's life will be held at a future date.
For those who wish to, a donation in his honour would be most appreciated in lieu of flowers. Donations can be made to Doctors Without Borders, Mercy Ships or a charity of choice.
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