GEORGE DOUGLAS
May 25, 1947 - March 23, 2012
Born in 1947, I was followed two years
later by my brother Wes. After the usual
sibling rivalries, Wes became much more
than a brother, serving as a close friend,
confidante and sometime business
associate. During and after high school I
flirted with a career in flying, proudly
telling everyone that I was flying
airplanes five years before I got a
drivers licence.
In 1973, I married my wonderful wife
Joanne and immediately acquired four new
brothers and four new sisters. The Potter
family immediately welcomed me into that
extended family and I have been a close
part of it ever since.
My father passed away in 1975 and I
assumed control of the family business -
St. Johns Music. With an outstanding group
of business associates assisted by myself,
we were able to grow the business from a
small 1700 square foot store front to
seven stores in seven cities across
Canada, a distribution centre and became
the second largest retailer of musical
instruments in Canada.
In 1977 I joined the Assiniboia Optimist
Club and this put me in contact with many
great community minded men and women, with
many of those friendships enduring to this
day. That same year I co-chaired and
co-ordinated the Optimist Band Festival, a
position I held for over twenty-five years
and saw the Festival grow from a handful
of bands to become Canada's largest
concert and jazz band festival.
In 1993, I was honoured to receive the
Award of Distinction for outstanding
contributions to music education by the
Manitoba Band Association. This award
furthered my belief that, while those in
the music community were my customers, I
really regarded them as partners in our
shared goals to improve music and music
education in Manitoba and across Canada.
In order to meet my goal of an early
retirement at fifty-five, we made the
difficult decision to sell St. Johns Music
in 2003. This allowed me the opportunity
to travel all over the world, setting foot
on all seven continents, further my
reading, my music (classical, of course),
expand my fishing and hunting
opportunities and of course to spend time
in my favourite place of all, our cottage
at Muriel Lake.
To all of my friends who have been so
supportive over these last difficult weeks
and months, you have all enriched my life
beyond words. To my wife Joanne, who I
love so dearly, who has put up with my
mistakes, my foolishness and my verbal
indiscretions, no man could have ever
asked for anyone better.
While in Thailand a few years ago, I spent
some time in the River Kwai area and
visited a POW cemetery. On a modest
headstone of a young British soldier was
inscribed 'It's always springtime in the
garden of memory'. For many of my friends,
I hope your remembrance of me will hold
many springtimes in the garden of your
memories. Please accept a fond farewell to
you all.
A reception to celebrate George's life
will be held Tuesday, April 3 at 5:00 p.m.
at Canad Inns, Club Regent, 1415 Regent
Avenue. In lieu of flowers, donations can
be sent to Rainbow Stage (1993) Inc.,
200-180 Market Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3B
0P7.
As
published in Winnipeg Free Press on
March 31, 2012
Condolences & Memories
Our deepest condolences to George's
family. He will be missed, but not soon
forgotten, He leaves a huge legacy in the
musical community in this city and in this
province. RIP George.
- Posted by: Glenn MacRae and Bonnie
Wallace on: Mar 25, 2012
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