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Donald (Don) Edward Aguirre

September 1, 2022

W1V7D0O0-20221102100317

March 21, 1942 - September 1, 2022
Donald (Don) Edward Aguirre was born in Fillmore, California March 21st, 1942, and passed away at Shuswap Lake General Hospital September 1st, 2022, with loving friends by his side. He was predeceased by his parents John and Josephine. Don was raised in an orange grove where he learned to dislike the heat, the work was hard and the oranges delicious.
After graduating from high school, he was drafted but was not accepted. Without asking why, he was off on what he said was the greatest decision/adventure of his life...Canada. In California he had trained to become a farrier and shod many a horse here in the Shuswap, BC, Alberta and overseas. Don worked in the Canoe Mill for several years but always found the time to shoe horses. One tale of shoeing he would nonchalantly retell was when one reached around and bit his ear off.
Don had a love of learning that did not end. He loved Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, going to the operas on Saturday mornings, attending plays, movies, reading, guns, and his vehicles (and clothes) that were often "fixed" with duct tape. Recently he asked a friend to order a Swahili dictionary as he thought he'd like to learn another language! Don just loved people. He made friends, good friends everywhere he went, entertaining them with stories he gathered from various jobs, his travels in Africa (his favourite stories) and from life.
Don spent hours writing letters and making friends unique, colourful birthday and Christmas cards always including scratch tickets that he also left as tips for everyone who served him. Don walked daily into Canoe to get his mail, he hiked the mountains, hunted and chopped wood - lots of wood. He fished logs out of the lake and built a fortress of firewood behind his cabin. Food was a favoured topic, mostly about how he couldn't cook and was always delighted to be invited to a home cooked meal (minus the vegetables).
Our community has lost a familiar character about town, a kind, intelligent, funny, humble man who will be so missed by so many. Don talked a lot about love in his final days, he was pleasantly surprised to know that he mattered so much to the river of loving friends from far and wide that poured through his hospital room. Thank you all for being his friend.
A celebration of Don will be held at the Gun Club, Saturday, April 15, 2023 at 10am-2pm. Please donate to whatever cause is dear to your heart.
Share condolences and memories of Don through his obituary at www.fischersfuneralservices.com

Fischers Funeral Services

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Service Details

Celebration of Life
Saturday, April 15, 2023
10:00 AM
Gun Club, 3200 70 St SE, Salmon Arm, BC V1E 1X4