Engineer, inventor, coach, prospector, dreamer, investor, fisherman, storyteller, neighbour, handyman, grandfather, volunteer, brother, husband, father, friend…
It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of David Macnab Watson (Dave), who died in Banff on January 28.
Dave was born in Howick, Quebec in 1936, the last of four boys born to Jean Beatrice Watson (née Whillans) and Wilfred 'Doc' Watson. His father was the local veterinary doctor (as was his father before him), and his childhood, lived partly through the war years, was adventure-filled: the Watson Boys had boundless energy and were constantly finding things to do that straddled that fine line between innocent fun and irresponsible mischief.
His eyes always sparkled in retelling childhood stories of small-town rural Quebec: the frequent bank robberies and the local old-timer who waited with his shotgun to catch a thief; the exuberance of the local volunteer firefighters as they smashed down neighbours' doors in search of a fire to extinguish; the joy of playing pond hockey and the excitement of listening, huddled around the radio, as the Montreal Canadians won another Stanley Cup.
He moved east to study civil engineering at the University of New Brunswick, graduating in 1960. He was an adventurer, and what followed was a decade of travel and adventure as he lived and worked in dozens of places. He gained experience surveying, and working on roads, water pipelines, and sewage treatment plants. In 1964 he ventured to Australia, and worked and traveled across the country. However, it wasn't until 1966, after he took the SS Himalaya steamship from Australia to Ceylon (Sri Lanka) for an overland bus journey from India to London, that he met Margaret, the Australian who would later become his wife. They went for coffee in Tehran. By 1968 Margaret had come to Canada, and they were married in Victoria in 1969.
Dave joined the federal public service in 1972 as a transport engineer – a job that he knew would provide stability as he and Margaret planned to start their family. He would spend the next quarter century working on the roads and bridges of western Canada. They lived for three years in the far north where he worked on the extension of the Dempster Highway that, when completed in 1979, stretched over 700 km, connecting Dawson City to Inuvik. Their first son, Paul, was born in Inuvik. A move to Winnipeg followed, where daughter Catherine and son Michael were born.
In 1979 he and Margaret moved their young family to Banff, a community where they developed deep roots, and where they remained until their deaths. While his job required that he sometimes spend many hours at the office, he was always happiest outdoors. His early work took him to remote places – often travelling by float plane or seasonal roads - and he thrived in being out in the bush. Later, he took great pleasure in regular skiing, hiking, and fishing trips within the mountain parks that he had the privilege to call home. Like his father and grandfather, he also curled, and even won a trophy or two.
His love for the outdoors was clear to all who knew him, and was passed on to his children, who grew up playing outdoors, hiking, skiing and camping. Dave worked hard and was dedicated to his family: for his young kids he built sandboxes and zip lines, toy cars, bows and arrows, and backyard skating rinks. As his children grew, he always supported their many sporting, academic, and other pursuits – driving, coaching, encouraging. His support and his calm and thoughtful advice were never more than a phone call away.
Despite his many work adventures, his pride in his projects, and his many close friendships among his colleagues, he retired when he could – in 1996 - taking advantage of one of many attempts of the federal public service to cut costs and 'usher out the old'.
His retirement projects were many: he started a prospecting business, poring over geological survey maps, walking along creek beds and through thick brush, and even staking some claims. He was often joined by his dogs, and Margaret, his long-suffering wife. In the end his success was measured not by what he found (usually nothing) but by the adventures he had. He and Margaret also traveled regularly – visiting family and friends in Southern Africa, Malaysia, Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, and Germany. Dave fancied himself an inventor, and in retirement he designed and manufactured a simple and effective set of steel clamps for tuning skis and snowboards. They were 'made of steel to last forever' and are doubtless still in use in various garages and local ski shops. He purchased two old Volkswagen camper vans and embarked on many adventures with friends and relatives; in addition to many prospecting trips to the bush, he and Margaret made it all the way to the far north, and to Newfoundland - and back!
Dave was a risk taker and was often seeking the next big thing (financial advisors were to be avoided: they were generally 'too conservative'). But he wasn't reckless. And there was a certain romanticism in his investing adventures: principally he sought gold, and other precious metals, convinced by their tangibility and timelessness. But he was also an early investor in a young Quebec-based circus – Circus Tivoli. His hunch was correct – people wanted a new kind of circus - but unfortunately Tivoli failed to succeed, eclipsed by its upstart rival, a small outfit called the Cirque du Soleil.
Dave was known for his friendliness and incredible generosity. He made connections easily and found common ground with people from all walks of life. The fact that he had lived in or visited so much of the county often meant he knew the places people were from – and perhaps even had a few friends in common. He picked up hitchhikers regularly (himself having hitchhiked widely in Canada and Australia) and often drove out of his way to take them to their destinations. Frequently they would be invited home for a meal, or to stay a few nights. For many people, Margaret and Dave Watson were an essential part of their Canadian Rockies experience.
Dave loved to fix things. He was an engineer at heart and belonged to an era when things were seldom discarded and usually built well enough to be repairable. He lamented the throw-away consumerism that society seemed so ready to embrace. He had a basement workshop that was a repair shop, innovation lab, spare parts storage, and tool museum in equal measure. He would spend hours in the workshop, building, fixing, tinkering, inventing. Friends would drop by to borrow a tool and stay for hours. If he wasn't home, they would let themselves in and stay for a drink after he returned. That was Dave.
Very seldom was it that someone would be called to the house to fix something – he was a handyman, and it was a matter of pride (and considerable Scottish thrift) that he be able to fix things on his own. More often, it was Dave who would arrive at someone else's door to fix something. And he would rarely go anywhere without his red toolbox: one never knew, after all, when an opportunity to be useful might arise. The list of people in town who had a sink, dishwasher, dryer, or other appliance fixed by Dave was long. He accepted little in return. Indeed, he was perhaps best known to many in Banff for his volunteerism over the years. His commitment to the community and many causes ran deep. He coached hockey and helped run the Banff Scout and Guide Hall Association, selling Christmas trees for over 30 years. He ran early versions of the Banff Ski Swap – helping raise money for the Nordic ski club. He flipped burgers and made cotton candy during Canada Day celebrations. And he contributed as an executive on the Banff Rowing Club, the Banff Senior's Centre, the Banff Scout and Guide Hall Association and Abbeyfield House.
Soon after their arrival, he and Margaret joined the congregation of the Banff Rundle Memorial United Church, becoming pillars of that institution, and supporting all manner of events and causes, from Rummage sales to holiday dinners, and charity events. Yet, despite being the grandson, and great grandson, of Presbyterian Ministers, Dave was never one for the Sunday services. Rather than looking to the heavens, he preferred to do his good work in the bowels of the church, fixing sinks and heating ducts, painting walls, and patching roofs. About God he was clearly skeptical, but he understood and appreciated the needs of a building.
Dave was curious and opinionated and had a clear rebellious side: he liked to question authority and to seek explanations and justifications. He was politically engaged, both locally and nationally – inspired in part by his older brother Ian, who served as a federal member of parliament for over twenty years. While his politics may have seemed confusing to some, it was grounded in some simple principles. He was thrift-seeking and believed in value for money. He believed in people working hard and taking personal responsibility, but knew, as everyone should, that much of our lot in life is not gained through hard work but acquired through a combination of the luck of our birth and the opportunities afforded us. He believed that people should live the lives they want, without undue coercion, but understood that it is only through collective action, and the attendant sacrifices required, that many big challenges are solved. Although he lived in Alberta for more than half his life, and loved the place, he was a Canadian first, and never slipped into the populism and cries of Western alienation so often heard over the years. He knew Canada from coast to coast to coast, and believed it was stronger whole and united.
Dave believed in the value of common sense – what some now call intuition – and his life experiences gave him more than his share of it. It generally served him well, but he sometimes fell prey to its limitations and abuses: trying to convince Dave that climate change was a crisis or that winter tires served a purpose was a fool's errand. In most matters Dave valued careful thought and research. He was generally methodical and deliberate with his decision-making, sometimes agonisingly so - a trait that no doubt frustrated Margaret as she dreamed about renovations to the house.
Dave loved animals, and they seemed to love him right back. Perhaps as a veterinarian's son he had a particular insight into their lives – their thriving, and their suffering – which led to understanding and respect. Perhaps they sensed that. Whatever the case, he seemed to always feel relaxed – and understood – in the company of animals. He was particularly fond of dogs, and usually one or more furry canines could be found at their Park Avenue home - either a Watson dog or one of the many boarders they hosted over the years. People knew that a dog at the Watson's was well taken care of - loved, fed, exercised, but not pampered.
Dave had a genuine enthusiasm for life, a wonderful sense of humour, and a light-hearted, mischievous side. Ribbing his friends and making small bets on all manner of things was a favourite pastime. He also had that important quality of never taking himself too seriously.
He was thoughtful and sensitive, but largely unsentimental: life was full of ups and downs, but didn't have to be complicated. Sticking to the basics was enough. He had his failings, but he excelled at the things that mattered most: embracing life, sharing generously his time and skills, loving unconditionally, and looking out for his family and friends.
He embraced his role as a grandfather, and enjoyed spoiling his grandchildren with ice cream, milkshakes, and frozen blueberries – no doubt sensing in the act additional opportunities to indulge himself as well. Although not known for his effusion, "I love you too" became reflexive in response to the ubiquitous
"I love you Papa" from his grandchildren. From the twinkle in his eye, you knew he meant it.
He mused about moving away from Banff in later years (even going so far as to peruse listings for rural land in Southeastern BC – he imagined living in a cabin in the woods) but in the end the mountains, his friends, and his family, kept him in Banff.
Dave loved to solve problems: problems were reducible – they had parts, pieces that could be examined and understood and cleaned and put back together and made to work again. This served him well for so many things and in so many ways. But not all problems are solvable. And for all his determination, and his formidable problem-solving prowess, in the end neither he, nor the doctors, were able to fix the effects of time and rapidly advancing Parkinson's. Margaret's death at the end of November and the increasing loss of his clarity and independence added tremendous weight. Unsentimental as he was, he clearly appreciated the many calls and visits and the obvious love from his family and friends towards the end. Ultimately, he knew that life - unlike his steel clamps, the gold that he chased, and the love that he shared - is not immutable.
Dave was predeceased by his wife of 53 years, Margaret, his brother Donald, sister-in-law Monique, and brother-in-law Phil, and is survived by his brothers Ian, and Mack (Rena), sisters-in-law June and Anne, brother-in-law John (Kathy), children Paul (Joanna), Catherine and Michael (Hannah), grandchildren Mackenzie, Parker, Lucy, Hannah, Theodore and Sebastian, many relatives, and countless friends around the world.
Our special, heartfelt thanks to the many doctors, nurses, homecare workers and other professionals from Banff, Canmore and Calgary who provide compassionate care and support for him over the years and in the final months and weeks.
Dave was a remarkable fellow. His kindness and humility, his humour, his selflessness, his genuine interest in people, and his love and care for his family and friends all allowed him, in simple, but profound ways, to enrich the lives of others. He will be deeply missed.
A springtime remembrance for David and Margaret will be held at a date to be announced. Those wishing to honour Dave's memory are encouraged to get outdoors, to volunteer in their community, and to make a donation toward Parkinson's research at the Parkinson's Association of Alberta.
Services provided by Russ Reynolds and Bow River Funeral Service.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of David M. Watson, please visit our flower store.Visits: 4
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the
Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors