Obituary of David Stephen
The family of David Stephen is saddened to announce his passing on October 27, 2020 at the age of 91 years. He will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 64 years - Dorothy, his children Alastair (Michele), Shirley and Iain (Kristian), Grandchildren Kathryn, Jennifer, Christopher, Tori and Alyssa and his younger brother George and family. Born in Airdrie, Scotland in 1928, David served in the British Military in various roles from 1946 to 1949 before attending Glasgow University to pursue his medical degree. In 1950, David met a young, beautiful teacher while helping his uncle and immediately told his family that he had met the girl he was going to marry. He graduated in 1956 and very shortly after that married the love of his life, Dorothy. David’s training and the realities of the British medical system meant that they had to move several times over the next few years. Their first child - Alastair was born on the Isle of Man in 1959, their second – Shirley was born in Hull, England in 1960 and the third – Iain was born in Sedgefield England in 1966. In the early summer of 1967 David and Dorothy moved their young family to Little Current where David became a very well-known and respected physician for more than 30 years before retiring in 1998. David was deeply devoted to his patients. While not a Haweater himself, David delivered many over the years at the Manitoulin Health Centre. He was proud of the work he did and while the long days of on-call work were often tiring – he would still jog 5 miles every morning on North Channel Drive. Over the years David’s hobbies evolved – soccer, motorcycles, archery, badminton, tennis, snowmobiling – however his lifelong passions were boating, music and reading. He enjoyed many quiet hours with his daughter Shirley reading books by his side. For many years David and Dorothy explored the beautiful anchorages in the North Channel area, sometimes on their own, but more often with family and friends. David’s love of music lead to him to learning how to play the organ, and he spent a great deal of time on the keyboard playing tunes for everyone in the house to hear. In his later years David’s active youth caught up with him, making mobility a bit of a challenge. He enjoyed his time with family gatherings and debates about world politics and other topics that came up. His family knew that if his accent was getting more pronounced, it was to be a spirited discussion. He moved to the manor in August and slipped away peacefully with Dorothy by his side just 3 months later. The manor staff were wonderful, and the family would like to thank them for their compassion and dedication in this difficult time. A strong supporter of the great work being done at the Manitoulin-Health Centre, David and his family would be grateful for any donation to that worthy cause.
