A bright light went out in Powell River when Donald Magnus died after a brief illness on February 6, 2025.
Don was predeceased by his parents Donald (Bud) and Jean; and brother Bruce. He is survived by siblings Janice, Bob (Elaine), Sandra, David (Linda), Fern (Darryl) and Tim (Leslie); and numerous nieces and nephews.
Donald was born in Nakusp, BC, moved around BC, including Powell River, before the family settled in Golden. He attended school there in a special education class and when not in school he could be seen powering around town on his tricycle collecting things in his basket or heading to the bakery or truck repair shop for coffee. During a visit to Powell River with his sister Fern in 2006, Donald asked if he could stay, starting a new chapter in his life.
Although Donald suffered a stroke at 13 months that left him differently abled, it didn’t slow him down. He played softball, golf and bocce, but his favourite sport was bowling. He played with Special Olympics in Golden, as well as Powell River, and won the Special Olympics gold medal for bowling at the BC games in 1984. He was still bowling, and each week he “won the cup.” Although Don didn’t play hockey or baseball, he was a big fan of both. He watched the professional teams on TV but loved to watch hockey live. He followed the Powell River Kings for years, during and after his nephew played for the team.
Don had a lot of passions. One was bowling and another was trucks. Born into a logging family, he loved trucks. He could name all the different makes and whether they had sleepers, pups, or were self-loading. He loved to wave at all the trucks and buses he saw, and was thrilled when they waved back! He also loved to talk about truck accidents, viewed on truck shows, and could talk for hours on that subject. He thought the truck shows on TV were great.
Another passion was music and singing. Don would listen and sing along to most music but his favourite was rock & roll, and he could often be heard belting out Elvis and Johnny Cash at full volume, leading to his nickname “Donny Cash.”
Don’s life changed when he moved to Powell River. He moved into a PRACL (inclusionPR) home and became somewhat independent. Along with his family, the staff of Chilco then Nelson house took amazing care of him and helped him to live his life to the fullest. They and the other residents, especially Jim, became part of his family.
Don will be best remembered for his love of life. In both Golden and Powell River he was embraced and supported by a wide circle of friends. He was always smiling and saw the positive side of life. He loved to go to Tim Hortons, get a coffee and donut, sit by the window and wave at everyone coming through the drive thru. He would laugh with pleasure when someone waved back. And it didn’t matter what was happening in his life, when you said goodbye, he always responded with “you have a good day.”
