A few hundred people gathered to honour iconic Red Deer philanthropist Jack Donald, who passed away earlier this year.
A celebration of life event was held at Westerner Park’s Parkland Pavilion on Saturday, where friends, family and community members paid tribute to Donald and his contributions to the City of Red Deer.
“My father and I did so many things together. We built a cabin when I was eight down on the river – just the two of us. We worked on cars. We spent a lot of time together and I’m a lucky man – there’s no question,” said John Donald, Jack’s son.
John reflected on some of his father’s favourite sayings on Saturday. One of those sayings was “when your life ends all you take with you is your reputation.
“(Judging) by the crowd here today, I would have to say he did a pretty damn good job,” said John.
Kathy Lacey, Jack’s daughter, called her father a “great family guy,” adding that she misses him every day
“He has left an imprint on all of us,” said Lacey.
“Dad and I shared several characteristics. He was left-handed like me and often clumsy like me. You could tell what dad had for lunch by the spots on his shirt, just like me.”
Jack and his wife Joan started Parkland Oil Products in 1964 and later sold the company in 1971. Later on, the Donalds bought Parkland Beef Industries, which became Parkland Industries Ltd. Headquartered in Red Deer, Parkland Industries became a fuel distribution company with Fas Gas retail service stations. By the time Jack retired as president and CEO in 2002, Parkland Industries had its own refinery and 454 retail service stations in Western and Northern Canada.
Jack was also a Red Deer city alderman in the 1970s.
John Oldring, a former alderman and Red Deer-South MLA, served on Red Deer city council alongside Jack. The two remained friends following their time on council.
“Serving on city council with Jack was an insightful experience,” Oldring said in a video message during the celebration of life.
“Jack had the uncanny ability to go through a 100-plus-page agenda, complete with attachments and technical reports, and always knew just the right questions to ask, never in a confrontational way and always with the intent of helping.”
Jack was an Alberta Order of Excellence inductee in 2015 and a Southern Alberta Business Hall of Fame inductee in 2011. Additionally, he and Joan were well known for their philanthropic endeavours in Red Deer.
Stuart Cullum, Red Deer Polytechnic president, acknowledged the Donald family for their philanthropy work during the celebration of life.
“In the short period that I got to know Jack, it was evident that he stood out in this community for both his philanthropy and his engagement. I say both for it wasn’t just the resources he provided, but it was the investment of time, wisdom and moral support,” said Cullum.
“Jack didn’t just focus on his own interests. He invested his time and energy into the making the community a better place. … Jack’s service is represented in a long list of organizations in which he gave his time, including participating on the boards of Westerner Park, Red Deer Polytechnic, the Rotary Club and the Optimist Club, just to name a few.”
The Rotary Club posthumously awarded Jack with a lifetime achievement award on Saturday.
sean.mcintosh@reddeeradvocate.com
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