Donald Roderick McKay

February 5, 1930 - June 23, 2023
In loving memory ~
Donald Roderick McKay, of Rossland, passed away on June 23, 2023 at Trail Regional Hospital at the age of 93. He was born on Feb. 5, 1930 in Kimberly BC. Don graduated from UBC in 1954 with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Mining Engineering and completed a Masters of Applied Science in Metallurgical Engineering in 1958. He married Barbara in 1957 and after residing in Northern Ontario and Quebec for four years they settled in Rossland. Here they raised their four children.
Don worked at Cominco (Teck) for 29 years before retiring in 1990. He was known to be determined, detail oriented, and persistent. These traits served him well as he helped lead the design and development of the first commercialized zinc pressure leaching plant. Don had a passion for boats and building, which led to the creation of a sailing paddleboard, adaptations to sail the family canoe, and finally his biggest project: the 34-foot sailboat Tamarac built over 10 years in the backyard in Rossland. Don and Barbara enjoyed many happy years of sailing on the Arrow Lakes with their boating friends and family.
Don was actively involved in Rotary for many years, during which time he led work to initiate the Rossland mining museum, and also served on the board of the Rossland Credit Union. He always needed a project to work on, which led to many upgrades to the family home and building of playhouses for each of three sets of grandchildren in Rossland and Kelowna. His family knew he was a wise investor and innovator. His children fondly remember the portable cooking and eating shelter he designed and built for the property on Pender Island, where the family camped every summer when the children were young. Don was great at fixing things, especially with fiberglass. We were never surprised to detect the smell of drying resin whenever there was a repair job around the house.
After the sailing days ended Don and Barb began their next adventures with a fifth wheel travel trailer towed by their faithful old gray truck. With these, they explored locally and through the Yukon and Alaska. As much as dad led many of the adventures with mom, he depended greatly on her and missed her desperately after she passed away earlier in 2023. Mom and Dad will now again be united and for eternity.
Don will be lovingly remembered by his children, Doug (Andrea), Bruce (Wendy), Heather (Christel), Robert (Shelly); grandchildren, Amanda (James), Claire (Mark), Jeanine, Andrew (Amber), Kaitlyn (Jeremy), Emily, Tyler (Jessica), Nathan (Jessica), Braden (Ali); great-grandchildren, Anna, Alice, Nora, Charlotte, Carter, Rorie, Aleister, Astrid, and Max; siblings, Winnie (Barry) Mellon and LanaLee (Dick) Simpson. Don was predeceased by his wife Barbara, and infant son, Stewart.
The family would like to thank the staff at the hospital for their and kind/empathetic care of dad, making him comfortable during his final days. The family would also like to recognise April's Care-giving and the Trail Hospice for assisting the family over the past several months.
The Celebration of Don's Life will now be held on Saturday, September 30, from 13:00-15:00 at the Prestige Resort in Rossland.. Kole Roth of Clark's Funeral Services has been entrusted with arrangements.
Those wishing to make a donation as an expression of sympathy may do so in Don's memory to the Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital Foundation at 1200 Hospital Bench, Trail, BC, V1R 4M1 or online at www.kbrhhealthfoundation.ca, or to Greater Trail Hospice Society at Suite 7, Kiro Wellness Centre, 1500 Columbia Avenue, Trail, BC, V1R 1J9, or online at Greater Trail Hospice Society
A personal message of condolence may be left at the family's online register at
www.clarksfuneral.ca

Clark’s Funeral Services