Sunday, August 11, 2024
Don and I started in the programming department at London Life on the same day in May, 1967. Don had transferred from Computer Operations and I was fresh out of Western with a degree in English. We worked together on the conversion of the old Ordinary Insurance System to the Individual Insurance System, and would go on to maintain the heart of that system for several years. We spent many a night and Saturday morning resolving various issues that the system had.
At one time, I lived a few blocks from Don and I would occasionally call him for help with some household issue, usually plumbing-related. Once, he even came over to help me retrieve my wife’s rings which had fallen down the sink. As usual, he was always willing to help and proved to be a ‘lifesaver’ at times.
In more recent years when I had a cottage up north, Don was my ‘tech support guy’ as I faced numerous technical challenges usually related to some issue with Windows software. He was very knowledgeable about the software, hardware and network issues and kept an inventory of printers, monitors, cables, adapters and other items in his basement. I visited him several times over the last year, with my last visit a couple of months ago where he ‘loaned’ me an old monitor to help me convert data from my old computer to a new one that I had acquired. He told me not to worry about bringing it back.
I’ll miss Don and remember him fondly for close to 60 years of friendship. Rest well my friend.
