Donald Boyd Whitehead passed away on Monday, June 1, 2020. After months of battling COPD and cancer with grace and a positive attitude, he passed away peacefully having spent only 2 nights in hospital. 
Don was born in Claresholm March 8, 1949 and grew up playing hockey, baseball and his teen years playing bass guitar for the Cobblestones (Claresholm’s version of the Beatles).  
He later moved to Edmonton where he worked at Labatt’s Brewery for 34 years.  It was in his 30th year at Labatt’s when he received a phone call one day asking if he was the Don Whitehead who grew up in Claresholm. After answering yes it is, the rest of his life changed. The voice on the other end of the phone said “Hi I’m Colleen and I’ve been working in Edmonton (and not really happy about being in “Oiler” territory for almost a year) was told by Jessie to give you a call.” After an hour long conversation he said lets go for lunch. He picked me up on his bike and we went for lunch and the rest is history. 
When Don retired 4 years later, we moved back to Southern Alberta to be closer to family, but after working for 34 years he had a tough time with retiring and said he always wanted to drive a truck and I said go for it. He went to truck driving school and drove for Watt & Stewart hauling mining tires where we covered many miles across Canada and USA. We incorporated weekend stays in many different places and sometimes felt like we were always on vacation. Don stopped trucking after having a heart attack and at about the same time I was approached about contracting again, so then we had the pleasure of travelling by air to client sites throughout USA, Philippines, Guatemala and Ireland. There again we incorporated vacation and weekend getaways including Hong Kong, Bali, Panama and many MLB games.
We lived in Vulcan for 4 years and then decided to move back to our hometown of Claresholm.
Don loved life and adventure. His passion was Harleys, mountains, oceans but most of all his family. He said the happiest day of his life was when he became a husband, stepdad and grampa all in one day.  Even though we had many vacations by ourselves, he loved our family vacations and camping trips. One of his favorite vacations was our family weekend to Las Vegas to watch a Flames game. He loved family dinners, watching Patrick and Billy’s ballgames, Taylor’s basketball and flags, Dorian’s hockey, Mia’s cheerleading, Payton, Charlotte and Ella’s ballgames and sitting on his front porch. 
He was a loving husband, stepdad, grampa and friend.  A man who never focussed on his own wants or needs and always put others first. Even in his final day he was telling hospital staff all he needed was his wife and that they all might as well take the rest of the day off. 
Don leaves behind his loving wife, Colleen; stepsons, Patrick and Billy McCormick; grandchildren, Taylor, Dorian, Mia, Payton, Charlotte and Ella; our unique extended blended family, Ryan and Jenn Kinsman, Greg, Joanne, Loris and Liam McCormick and special Grampa Don to Chloe and Penny (Hong Kong). He is also survived by his mother, Marguerite; sister, Lynda (Jack) Strader; and nephews, Barry and Brad.  He was predeceased by his father, Boyd Whitehead; father-in-law, Jim Bonnar (Cathy) and many dear friends.
Don is going to be dearly missed and loved forever by his family.
Due to the COVID situation we are currently dealing with we are planning a small family gathering in our backyard Saturday, June 13 with friends being able to join us virtually.
Donations may be sent to Claresholm Palliative Care in Don’s memory. Messages of condolence may be left for the family at www.myalternatives.ca