Donald Coker

COKER, Donald Roger

Passed away peacefully on Friday, October 6, 2023 at the Huntsville District Memorial Hospital  in  his 85th year.  Loving husband of Sheila Eleanor (Peterkin) for 67 years who were married on July 7, 1956.  Father of Tom (Evelyn), Valerie (Terry), David (with loving memory of Heather) and John (Gabe). Grandfather of Jennifer, Amanda, Sarah (Tim), Catriona (Jolsen), Kevin (Kevin), Courtney (Reuben), Nathan, Jeanette (Charlie), TJ, Kyle (Rachael) and Gerrod.  Great-Grandfather of Layla, Savannah, Nola, Cash, Hollis, Cole, Adi and Evie.  Predeceased by 12 siblings, left to mourn are his remaining siblings, Roy (Ann), Ed (Brenda), Sharon (Colin), and Carl (Barb).  Wonderful brother-in-law to Lorraine (dec. Alvin), Pete (Jean), Glenn (dec.), Ron (dec. Sandra), Pat, Linda (dec. Bev), Barb (dec.), and loving uncle to many nieces and nephews.  

Don was an avid outdoorsman from fishing to hunting (affectionally known as the deer slayer) and  many summers of camping with family and friends.

He was a hard-working man his whole life and took pride in all his jobs. He retired from Oshawa General Motors in 1993 where he got the nickname Coker not Joker.

His grandchildren remember that though he was strict he was also a teacher to them, from woodworking to making maple syrup and to playing board games. He could also scare the heebie-jeebies out of them when he would dress up as a scarecrow at Halloween and sit on his chair outside his house waiting for them to arrive, then jump up and scare them!  We saw a different side to him when the great-grandchildren came along, he was playful and funny with them, and they loved when he stuck out his false teeth at them or when he pretended he had lost his pinky finger that had been amputated.

He always kept his vehicles well maintained and woe betide anyone who even thought of entering with muddy shoes.  He was a man of his word and was always there when needed.

The last few years of his life were not easy because of his health issues, but he always carried on with strength and dignity. He was an example of not letting his issues define him and he never stopped telling his family that he loved us.

The family would like to thank his family doctor, Megan Stephenson for looking after him for the past 23 years and stopping in to see him every day for the past month that he was in hospital. Thank you also to the care he received in ICU with a special mention to nurse Brad and to the nurses in East wing of Huntsville hospital.  To everyone that has reached out to us the family, we thank you for all the love and support, kind words and stories that you have told us of Don, and we hope to see you at his celebration of life.

A Celebration of Life for Donald Coker will take place on Monday, October 16, 2023, at Huntsville Royal Canadian Legion from 1:30 p.m. -  4.30pm. The service will take place at 2pm.  Officiated by Evelyn Coker.  Light luncheon to follow. An an expression of sympathy, memorial donations to Parkinson Canada at https://www.parkinson.ca/