Donald John Thur

If ever there was such a character who could be rightfully identified as a human dynamo, it was “logger/forester,” hockey all star, coach, manager, sports advocate with and beyond the community, a latter day artisan of burl bowls, it was Donald (Don) Thur. You only ever referred to him as Donald if you happened to be mad at him, which by the way only ever lasted momentarily. Don was well known as an ideas man with a range of staunch opinions on just about everything in the universe. He wanted to produce debate and loved a good verbal contest but most of these ended with one of his deep, raspy laughs that eased tensions. This fellow could have been mayor, a member of parliament or maybe even an ambassador. No! He was too much of a rascal to take an official public post seriously. But he knew what he was talking about and he knew how to get his point across in his Don Cherry like hockey talks for example. It was obvious Don cherished life and times, and handled angst in life by working hard to create adventures to validate his plan to build mountains and then successfully scale them. Yet he was often subdued about his own accomplishments, especially when his beautiful turned burls were given to international dignitaries as gifts from federal, provincial and municipal authorities. He was comfortable as they say, in his own skin. But he was a character the folk historian will long recall in local history.

Don was born in 1941 in Noranda, Quebec. In 1942 he moved with his family to Pembroke, Ontario where he lived until 1970. He worked for Corrections Canada from 1971 to 2001, first at Millhaven and then for the rest of his career at Gravenhurst’s minimum security prison, Beaver Creek, where he was most notably a co-ordinator of the forestry work crew that were tasked with wood cutting and clean ups of woodlots throughout the area.

From 2001 to 2019, Don and Mary operated the well known “Knots and Burls to Bowls” in Port Sydney, where he made his exquisite wood crafts. In 2019 Don and Mary moved to the Yukon, where Mary had family, and where Don could truly enjoy the adventurous life he had always dreamed of, but somehow had escaped his grasp. This period was exciting beyond description but never truly a retirement. It was a matter of rediscovering life without so many other obligations. He faced the end with courage and resolve, that all in all life had been pretty sweet.

He was an influential member of Bracebridge Minor Hockey from 1973 and joined the executive of the Bracebridge Junior C Bears in 1985. A role for which he will long be respected for.

Don leaves behind his wife Mary and his family David (Julie), Bonnie (Mike), Kelli, and Brian (Megan) and was the proud Poppa of Colby (Diana-Marie), Glen (Sophie), Kurt, Emmalie, Caleb and Tasin.

A celebration of life for Don will take place at the Rotary Center, 131 Wellington St, Bracebridge, on October 24th from 1-5 pm.