I first met Don in Dauphin, Manitoba at the 2010 Royal Bank Cup. The two of us met at the rink as we both watched and cheered on our Vipers, both watching the Vipers win their second straight National Championship. Since then we became good friends at the rink. We got to know one another and always enjoyed talking hockey or talking about the Vipers before and during Viper games. A very humble, soft spoken man that was very kind and a great friend. Don was always a big fan of my blog and one of my true supporters. He once told me he always enjoyed waking up in the morning to see what article or posting I would have waiting for him to read. Don always come to me regarding info on the Vipers. He use to say I was the Vipers encyclopedia.
I never met or knew Don's family but I do know Don will truly be missed around Kal Tire Place by his so called second family, us the Viper fans. Going to the games wont be the same without you! I will miss our hockey talk before and during the Viper games.
R.I.P. Don Go Vipers Go!
This was in the Morning Star Newspaper:
MIERAU, DONALD JAMES 1937 ~ 2015
Tuesday, 11 Aug 2015
Our Dad passed away on Tuesday, August 11, 2015. Dad’s health had been failing in the months before Mom’s passing this past May, and after Mom was gone, he found it increasingly difficult to cope with planning meals, remembering his medications, and the loss of the lifestyle they had enjoyed for a few days short of 55 years. He would say that he had nobody to talk hockey with anymore or decide how many tomato plants to plant. Even after she was gone, he would stop at the grocery store for milk as he had done so often, and then stop and think to himself…”hmph, I wonder who told me we needed milk?” He has always commented on what a great cook Mom was, and her meals were missed in the past months.
Dad grew up on the family farm near Langham. His career with SaskPower started at the age of 17 when he climbed power poles and did all the things the company rookies did in those days. He would tell us how nauseating the bombardier rides were in the fields with the many feet of snow, and how he could never eat tomato rice soup again after one particular bombardier trip. He held many positions with SaskPower, finally retiring after 25 years of service at the age of 42. We remember people commenting on how young that was to be retiring, but we thought to ourselves….”well how many years is a person supposed to work anyway??” Young naiveté.
After he left “the Power”, he realized his lifelong dream and founded Aamar Rentals in Sutherland. He was so delighted to be a “businessman”, and in 1985, he sold his company to retire for good. In his retirement, he spent a few years selling cars and then real estate “part time”, but with a circle of friends and acquaintances like Dad had, these turned out to be far from just part-time jobs.
In 1989, Mom and Dad moved to the Okanagan - first to Winfield, and then to Vernon in 2001. Over the years, he enjoyed countless curling games, bonspiels, golf games, and coffee row sessions with his “boyfriends”. He would call it the Liar’s Club with the caveat that most of the actual lies were unintentional, but entertaining and informative just the same. Mom and Dad surveyed the entire province of BC in their van, mostly on day trips or overnighters that strangely happened to place them somewhere close to a casino for the night. Dad being Dad, he knew things about the history of the province and fascinating facts that few people would know…or care about.
In his last days, Dad so enjoyed the company of his sister, Dorothy. They talked about their younger years, and he had all the details straight. They shared stories in memory of their parents, their brothers, Russel and Elvin, and their sisters, Eileen and Marion. Dad has been such a great mentor, guide, and coach for his daughters, Charlotte (Roger Galera) and Leslee, and his shining star, granddaughter Charlyn. Brandy, his buddy who made a full-time job out of barking and begging for food, will join her “Mom and Dad” when it’s her time.
At Dad’s request, there will be no service. Our hope is that anyone wanting to remember him symbolically, do so through an act of kindness in keeping with Dad’s own nature.
You are invited to leave a personal message of condolence at the family’s online obituary @ www.myalternatives.ca.
Cremation arrangements entrusted to ALTERNATIVES FUNERAL & CREMATION SERVICES Vernon 250-558-0866 & Armstrong 250-546-7237
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