DAVID ALEXANDER SHEARER
May 15, 1927 - March 21, 2013
Predeceased by his sister Alberta and his
son David. Survived by his wife Betty, his
sister Mary, his children Jim, Catherine
(Ron) and Doug (Aandra), and his
grandchildren Justina, Dustan, Victoria,
Kurtis, Jessie, Elizabeth, Marta, and
Lola.
David was born in Winnipeg and graduated
from St. James Collegiate. From an early
age, his abiding interests were music,
math and mechanics. After playing clarinet
with Sea Cadets as a teenager, he joined
and wrote arrangements for various musical
outfits throughout and after high school.
Touring took him through Manitoba and
across Canada. Blessed with perfect pitch,
he later added baritone and tenor sax,
bassoon, contrabassoon, flute and piccolo
to his repertoire.
David played with the Saskatoon and
Winnipeg Symphony orchestras, The Gar
Gillies Band, Rainbow Stage, MTC, The
Hollow Mug, at Manitoba's beach dance
halls, and for countless events with
various bands over a 70-year career. It
was while playing for the CBC that David
fell in love with the payroll clerk there.
Betty and David were married in 1955, and
remained together until the end.
Throughout his adult life, David pursued
parallel musical and engineering careers.
He earned a bachelor of mechanical
engineering from the University of
Manitoba in 1956 and a master's degree
from the University of Saskatchewan in
1961. Betty and David spent a year in
Cleveland where he worked for the Bailey
Meter Company, and two years in Saskatoon
before settling back in Winnipeg. He
worked at Manitoba Hydro until his
retirement in 1992, specializing in the
design and construction of hydroelectric
power stations in northern Manitoba.
David loved to spend time with Betty and
their children at the family's Lake
Winnipeg cottage. He and Betty also
enjoyed long daily walks with their dog
along Wellington Crescent. He loved
building, wiring, plumbing, and fixing
things with his precision instruments and
tools. This included the artful repair of
furniture salvaged from back lanes near
their River Heights home. David was
happily obsessed with puzzles and all
things mathematical, and he regularly
exchanged math problems by mail with his
closest friend Dave Reid. Italian food,
red wine, family dogs and the night sky
were some of the things David drew
pleasure from. His high standards, love of
knowledge, charisma, and sense of humour
continue to provide inspiration to his
grandchildren. Fiercely intelligent and
uncommonly gifted, David never stopped
challenging himself and stayed curious
until the end.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made
to the Shearer Bursary in Music at the
University of Manitoba. A memorial service
will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, April
14, at the Niakwa Country Club, 620 Niakwa
Road, Winnipeg.
As
published in Winnipeg Free Press on
April 06, 2013
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