CHENEY, Donald Harry, DFC
WWII, Lancaster Pilot,
R.A.F. 617 (Dambusters) Squadron
Our hero is finally at peace. It is with tremendous sadness that we announce the loss of our beloved Don, on August 26, 2014, age 92, after a brief illness. Predeceased by his parents, Evelyn and Harry. Survived by Gladys, his loving wife, best friend and soul mate of almost 70 wonderful years. Dear and most devoted Dad to Allan (Nicole), Richard (Brenda), Janice (Patricia) and Jennifer (Donald), adored Grandpa to Aaron, Jaime and Talia (Larry), and most recently proudest Great Grandpa to Camden Donald. Born and raised in Ottawa, Don served in the R.C.A.F. during WWII and was assigned to R.A.F. Bomber Command 617 (Dambusters) Squadron, as a Lancaster pilot. At the end of his second tour of duty, Don's plane was shot down over Douarnenez (Bretagne), France, on August 5, 1944. Three members of his crew were killed. Risking their own lives, Don was rescued from the sea by local fishermen led by Corentin Buisson and was then hidden in the home of the local head of the French resistance, Aristide Québriac, during which time he was deemed by the R.A.F. as missing in action and presumed dead. Don was one of the last, if not the last, surviving Canadian life members of the Royal Air Forces Escaping Society. His remarkable escape from his Lancaster, Dark Victor, and his valiant attempt to save the lives of his wireless operator and other crew members before saving himself are well documented in the book The Dam Busters by Paul Brickhill. At the tender age of 22, Don was decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross for his heroism and bravery. On his return from Europe, Don married his sweetheart and love of his life, Gladys Gardiner, on April 21, 1945. After completing a degree in Economics at Queens University, Don had a long and extremely distinguished career in Canada's foreign service (Trade Commissioner Service), which included posts in Trinidad, Peru, Boston, Chicago, Holland and Russia, retiring in 1977. But regardless of where he was in the world, Don's favourite place was the home that always travelled with him in his heart; the family cottage on the Gatineau River, near Larrimac, acquired by his father in 1936 and which remains in the family today. Don's interests were eclectic and numerous - an accomplished artist, storyteller extraordinaire, history and geography buff, as well as an avid gardener and a lover of music and dancing, to name but a few. And he never shied away from a good family debate on just about any subject. An eternal optimist, Don loved his family more than life itself and supported and encouraged all of us equally and unconditionally until he took his last breath. He was an incomparable role model, strikingly modest about himself but unabashedly boastful about the accomplishments of others, especially those of his children and grandchildren. He saw only the good in people and treated everyone he met with kindness, keen interest and exceptional respect. In return he was much loved by all who knew him and he will be missed beyond words; we are all so very fortunate to have had this extraordinary man in our lives for so long. The family wishes to express their profound gratitude to the kind and courageous people of Douarnenez, France, without whom everything that happened in Don's life after August 5, 1944 (including all of us), would not have been possible. The family will receive friends at Hulse, Playfair and McGarry Funeral Home, Central Chapel, 315 McLeod Street, Ottawa on Tuesday, September 2 from 4 to 6 p.m., and on Wednesday, September 3 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00, immediately followed by a celebration of Don's long and wonderful life. Following in the tradition of Don's enormous generosity and compassion, memorial donations to a charity of choice would be most appreciated.
