Obituary of Don Garden

GARDEN, Donald Harold “Don”, age 67, of West St. Andrews, formerly of Enfield passed away September 3, 2024, in the Halifax Infirmary, surrounded by his family.  Born in Halifax, he was a son of the late Jack and Lorraine (MacDonnell) Garden. 

Don worked for Maritime Telegraph and Telephone Company for 35 years.  He then went on to work for 14 years at TII Technologies based out of New York as Regional Sales Manager for all of Canada.  Previous to that he was responsible for sales in the New England States and Eastern Canada.
 

Don was an avid Sportsman with hockey as his main love.  He grew up in the East Hants Minor Hockey Association both as a player, coach, and as a Development Co-Ordinator for the Association.  He was the assistant captain of the 1973/74 East Hants Midget Hockey Team that won the Maritime Championship, and is the only East Hants Hockey team to represent the Maritimes at the first National Midget Wrigley Tournament, now known as the Telus Cup. He also played Junior Hockey for the East Hants Penguins, and the Cole Harbour Scotia Colts.  

Don applied his love for hockey to coaching various levels within Minor Hockey in East Hants, and at the Junior level with some of his players moving onto the pro and semi-pro levels.  He was a Founding Member and Director of the East Hants Sports Hall of Fame.  Don was well known and respected amongst many past minor hockey players and coaches. He was a very giving and caring person whose altruistic acts often went unnoticed by those around him. One act that Don was most proud of was his donation of a kidney to his sister, Jacquelyn, 29 years ago, but Don’s pride and joy was his granddaughter, Blair Lorraine Garden.  

Don will be sadly missed by his son, Joshua Garden (Kassi); granddaughter, Blair; twin brother John (Joan) Garden; siblings, Gerrard (Susan) Garden, Janet (Bernie) Baker, Fred Garden, Pauline (Laurie) Preeper, Jacquelyn (Gary) Jayasinghe and Jeffrey “Bud” (J.R.) Garden; nieces and nephews: Katie, Kyle and Brett; Candice, Kory and Nathan; Matthew and Adam; Mark, Emma and Ben; Ian and Lindsay; Patrick; Sandra MacPhee (mother of Joshua); special friend Angela Tibbo; many great nieces and nephews, numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.
Don was predeceased by his parents, and his adopted son, Zachariah.

Cremation has taken place. A funeral mass will be held at 11:30 AM Saturday, October 5, 2024 at St. Bernard’s Church, Enfield. A livestream of the service will be available at: https://event.forgetmenotceremonies.com/ceremony?c=0dc96df5-deb2-4996-9966-185b62348ce9

Interment of the cremated remains will be in Sandy Hill Cemetery, Belnan.

A Celebration of Life will follow in the Enfield Legion from 2 -7PM, with personal remarks being shared and livestreamed at 4PM https://event.forgetmenotceremonies.com/ceremony?c=0dc96df5-deb2-4996-9966-185b62348ce9

The family would like to thank Walter Fay and Don’s colleagues at TII, for all their support during this difficult time.  Also the family would like to thank the staff of Halifax Infirmary 5.2 ICU, for the care and compassion shown to Don and his family during his illness, in particular Drs. Haroon and Rasmussen.

Donations can be made to East Hants Minor Hockey to help offset registration costs to families in need, via e-transfer to: payments@ehpenguins.org (Subject line: Don Garden Memorial Fund) or cheques payable to: East Hants Minor Hockey; subject: Don Garden Memorial Fund and mailed to EHMHA, 1076 NS-2, Lantz, NS B2S 1M8

In memory of Don please make your organ donor wishes known to your family. 

Tributes, words of comfort and memories of Don may be shared with the family at www.ettingerfuneralhome.com

“Death leaves a heartache no one can heal. Love leaves a memory no one can steal.”