Obituary of Doug Dailey
DAILEY, “Doug” Douglas Ray was born July 28, 1943 on an army base in Brandon, Manitoba. He passed away peacefully at home in Tobermory on November 12, 2023. 2023 was definitely Doug’s victory lap. After twenty-five years together he spontaneously proposed and married the love of his life, his wife Daryl Wood in May. They took an epic three week honeymoon/vacation to the East Coast and then embarked on making memories all summer. This included taking his little fishing boat along with his good friend Roger, up and down the St. Clair River just as he had done as a teenager growing up in Sarnia, Ontario. He enjoyed visiting his getaway cottage in the city of Sarnia and walked 5km in London with his survivor friend Jeff to raise over $4,000 for the Head and Neck Cancer Clinic at London Health Sciences Centre where he had been treated since July 2017. The big party for his 80th birthday could well be considered his celebration of life. 70 people joined him at his home on Lake Huron in Tobermory where he delivered his usual funny and inspiring speech to rounds of appreciation and applause. Doug touched so many people over his lifetime and none more than his two precious children Jody (Len) and Scott (Barb). They will help his grandchildren Grace and Cole follow in his footsteps with their love of all things hockey, especially the Toronto Maple Leafs. To say that Doug had the best friends ever is an understatement and the support from friends and neighbours over the years often made him feel so humble and grateful. Doug was a talented athlete playing hockey and baseball for many years. He loved physical activity and after an early retirement from Nortel he kept working to expand his skills in carpentry and fixing just about anything that was unfixable. He defied his age and capacity over and over again surprising people with what he could do as an ‘on the job’ problem solver. He loved boating and living in Tobermory and fiercely fought for his life until MDS (leukemia) took the final swing at him. If love could have healed his body it surely would have. The outpouring of kindness from random strangers to trusted friends and family are the best testament to his undeniable impact. If you must send flowers, please send them to someone who may need a message of love today. And if a donation is your preference, a gift to the Lion’s Head Hospital c/o Bruce Peninsula Hospitals Foundation would be Doug’s choice. A huge thank you to medical professionals who have taken extra time with Doug. He was treated with respect and gentleness as much as was possible through years of gruelling treatment. May all those who blessed Doug be now blessed with good health, joy and peace. There is no service planned at this time. Arrangements entrusted to the GEORGE FUNERAL HOME, LION’S HEAD CHAPEL, Lion’s Head. Messages of condolence may be sent to the family through www.georgefuneralhome.com
Doug carried a card in his wallet with a quote from Maya Angelou “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Doug made us all feel good. For that we can all be deeply thankful for the life and legacy of Doug Dailey.
