Donald Edward Ross, 77, of Hardwoodlands passed away peacefully on the morning of May 20th, 2026 with Shirley, his wife of 58 years by his side.

Born in Truro, Don grew up in Milford and was always a hard worker and a helper. Shirley started stealing his jacket in high school to get his attention, and the rest, as they say, is history. Don loved working in the woods and would have done it forever if Shirley hadn’t told him to get a real job. He did, but he still spent a heck of a lot of time out there fishing, sometimes getting nothing more to show for it than wet socks.

Donald’s happy place was his garage. A mechanical MacGyver, he prided himself in being able to fix just about anything (mostly things he, himself, broke) and was the go-to guy for his children, grandchildren, and the occasional stranger when a problem arose. He could often be found cruising around Elmsdale in his Ford pickup for his morning coffee runs, making visits with lots of stories to tell. Donald never met a cookie he didn’t like, and could hear the crack of a can of Keith’s from a mile away. He enjoyed playing cards while listening to the Saturday night country classics or watching baseball and hockey with the family.

Donald was predeceased by parents, Roy and Harriet Ross (Carroll), brother Terry, brother-in-law Barry, and nephew Jonathan.

He is survived by his wife Shirley (nee: Lewis); children, Eddie (Anja), Steph (Leonard), Dawn, and Mike (Candice); grandchildren, Nikita, Gabby (Greg), Kaylee (Connor), Bryson (Mateya), Jeremy, Cole, Carrigan, Tyler, and Jake; great-grandchildren, Jo, Jensen, Lincoln, and Harper; siblings, Bus (Marjorie), Carl (Judy), Estella, Kenny (Joanne), Mary Jane, sister-in-law Barb, and many nieces and nephews.

Don’s grit, tenacity, and (let’s face it) stubbornness gave his loved ones the gift of extra time, for which we will always be grateful.

Cremation has taken place under the care and direction of Ettinger Funeral Home, Shubenacadie. A Celebration of Life will take place on Saturday, May 23rd from 2-5pm at the Hardwoodlands Community Hall, 8110 Highway 14, Hardwoodlands.

A special thank you to the Palliative Care team.    In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Hardwoodlands Community Hall.

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