Donald Louis Boudreau

Don Boudreau (aka Hap) was born to Hanna Knox (from Scotland) and Louis Boudreau (from Michigan then Quebec). Louis was a firefighter in Oshawa Ontario. They had two children Don and Betty (the eldest). He met Joanne Jonassen in Oshawa and they were married. They moved to Waterloo where they met good friends Stu and Luqui Lockhart who still remain close friends to this day.

Don and Joanne had three children Kathy, David and Lori. Unfortunately, Kathy, then David followed by Joanne succumbed to cancer. Don has one grandchild via Lori who is named Curtis. Don loved Curtis very much, was not afraid to change diapers nor babysit, and called him “my best friend”. He truly was Curtis’ best friend.

Don at the age of 14 started hanging around the airport and was fascinated with airplanes, he started cleaning them and eventually earned his pilot’s license. He befriended Art Griffith during this time whom Betty eventually married. He remained in his field of love for many years, retiring as senior inspector with Execaire in Brampton Ontario, due to complications from diabetes. At this company Don earned the nickname Hap short for Happy.

Don remained very enthusiastic throughout his life for anything to do with airplanes. He regularly attended the Elmvale airport striking up conversations with anyone who would talk the trade. He started a model airplane hobby and created many amazing machines.

When I think of my Dad two words come to mind, happy and strength. Happy- he befriended everyone he met who absolutely loved him. Strength: he built a cottage with his own two hands and with no help. He cleared the land himself with help from friends, the family camped in a tent. He would work there every weekend, even in winter, hauling the family of 3 kids, on a toboggan, 3km in snow, and up a final large hill, to the haven in the woods.

Our family enjoyed the cottage for many years and made many friends with many stories to share. He befriended everyone. On one particular day, when I was in my twenties, I decided to take the boat and “sneak out” to a corn roast across the lake with a friend. When I arrived, there was my Dad “Hap” who also “snuck out” having the time of his life.

My Dad taught me at a young age about snowmobiles, cars, and boats, he was a true mechanic, and his favorite saying was “I will check you out on this”. This was whether it was a car, changing a tire, changing oil or maintain the cottage and the boat and the many maintenance aspects thereof.

Despite having a stroke in 2015, he forged on. He managed to live independently in Barrie Ontario, maintain his beloved aircraft models, and always, making many friends. He had a bad fall in 2021 where he had to be admitted to a retirement home, he continued to make friends there and kept the staff laughing very much.

Throughout his entire life he maintained his strong relationship with the church and his love of Jesus and God.

Loving father

Uncle, brother, husband friend and Papa

May gold hold you in his loving arms until we meet again