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- [S4] Obituary.
Christopher Francis Dann passed away peacefully on November 2, 2015 at the Rosedale Hospice in Calgary, Alberta. He was 74 years of age. Chris is survived by his wife Joyce; daughter Mary and her husband Rod; son Evan; daughter Suzan and her husband Daniel; daughter Sadie; granddaughters Emma and Annika; brother Robin and his family and many other loving relatives and friends. Chris was predeceased by both parents, his first wife Marilyn and his grandson Eli.
Born in Llandovery, Wales, on December 22, 1940 to Frank and Mary (nee Nicholas) Dann, Chris spent the first six years of his life in Wales and England, before moving to Canada when he was 6. Once in Canada, Chris lived in Saskatchewan then Nordegg, Bow Island and Vulcan, Alberta. Eventually, Chris settled in Calgary and attended the University of Calgary where he obtained his Bachelor of Arts and Masters degrees in History, along with his Bachelor of Education degree. Upon graduation, Chris taught school on the Eden Valley and Blackfoot Reserves for six years. In 1977, Chris moved with his wife, Joyce and daughters, Suzan and Sadie, to Ottawa to work as a Grievances Officer then Arbitration Officer with the Public Service Alliance of Canada. After almost 20 years in Ottawa, Chris spent a year working for the P.S.A.C. in Yellowknife before moving back to Calgary for good in 1995.
Chris’s interests were many. His appetite for knowledge and adventure was voracious. He was an artist and completed many paintings that are treasured by family and friends alike. He was a cyclist, cycling to and from work for many years. He also enjoyed several long distance cycling tours with friends throughout Canada and the United States. He lifted weights religiously for years. He was an avid collector of many different things but he was most proud of his extensive collection of militaria which he grew throughout his life. He was a skilled winemaker. He was politically aware and could often be heard voicing his support for the working man.
Chris travelled to the U.K. and Europe as a young man and later would work across Canada while with the P.S.A.C. However, his greatest adventures began after he retired in 2003. Along with his wife Joyce, Chris travelled for five months each winter for 12 years. They journeyed together to most countries in Asia, including several trips to India, Thailand and Indonesia. They also visited Africa, South America, Central America, the South Pacific, New Zealand and Mexico. Wherever he travelled, Chris satisfied his obsession with walking, hiking and climbing. After retirement, he summited Cotopaxi in Ecuador, Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and Fuji in Japan, to name but a few. He hiked around the world but the Munroes in Scotland and the Rockies in Alberta were his favourites.
Beyond all that Chris accomplished in life, his greatest legacy was his ability to love and support so many people and this is evident in the outpouring of love and support he received in return. Kind is the most common word used to describe Chris and, rightfully so, but there are so many other words that fit a man that lived life to the fullest, never at anyone else’s expense. He was truly happy with his life and always had a smile and a joke at the ready. He was interested and interesting. Wise but always learning. Anybody that knew him was richer for it.
Perhaps Chris’s response to the question, “How do you want future generations of your family to remember you?” sums up his life in the way he most wanted it to be summed up. His answer was, “A quiet old man who loved his family.”
A gathering to remember and honour Chris with stories, laughter and celebration will be held at the Calgary Legion, 1910 Kensington Road NW on Thursday, November 26, 2015 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, people are invited to donate to the Rosedale Hospice, (920 7A Street NW, Calgary, AB T2M 3J3) or any of Chris’s favourite charities: Amnesty International, (5 Penn Plaza 16th Floor New York, NY 10001), The War Amps, (1 Maybrook Drvie, Scarborough, ON M1V 5K9), Canadian Wildlife Foundation, (350 Michael Cowpland Drive, Kanata, ON K2M 2W1), Medecins sans Frontieres, (720 Spadina Avenue, Suite 402 Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 2T9) or the TransCanada Trail, (321 de la Commune West Suite 300, Montréal, Québec H2Y 2E1).
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1940 - 2015 (74 years)
. Mary Kathleen DANN
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