Monday, September 23, 2013
My family met the Price family very soon after moving to Gananoque in the early 1960s. Since he was the local optometrist, we got to know Don professionally, but our closest connection was that both of our families were part of the Gan sailing community. As I recall, in those years Don sailed a GP-14, as did my Dad (Ron Naismith) and many others - Ned Gurney, Jerry Springer, Clair Walker, and Bob Wright are the people who's names immediately spring to mind. Twice-weekly races starting from the former Canoe Club dock, with a fleet of a dozen or more GP-14s. I remember soon after that, Don and Merna "graduated" to a larger, cruising, sailboat, most memorable for me because they had a little Dachshund, who sailed with them and who had his own life jacket!
Not only did Don prescribe my first pair of glasses, he also first fitted me with contact lenses. Moving away from Gan was traumatic for me from an 'optical perspective'; he'd looked after me for so many years that I was totally lost without his guidance. I got over that, but as an adult I always remembered and appreciated his concern and care to ensure that a small child wasn't overwhelmed or scared by sitting in that big chair and having that big gizmo with all the lenses pushed up against her face. Not to mention that when the kid was a klutz and broke her glasses, that Don would respond and have them replaced as quickly as possible.
Many years and even more miles have intervened since those years. In the mid-1990s, Don was instrumental in inviting me to Gan, to speak at one of the Rotary Club's luncheons about my experiences as the Canadian Forces Staff Officer for Military Museums in bringing to Canada a few tonnes of military equipment that had been used by the Warsaw Pact countries, against NATO, during the Cold War. I was thrilled by his invitation and very much enjoyed the opportunity to reconnect with Don and also with many other members of the local Rotary Club. More recently, I saw Don and Merna last summer at Greyrock and was able to catch up with them and to enjoy their company for an evening. Although Don looked quite frail, his spirit and sense of humour were undiminished. I am happy that I had the chance to see them, but I'm sad that I didn't follow up and maintain contact with them over the past year. An opportunity lost.
To Merna, Sharon and Brian - please accept the condolences and sympathy of the Naismith and Spaidal families on your loss. Don was a warm, wonderful and great man, and we will all miss him.
Sincerely,
Silvia Naismith Spaidal
Joseph Naismith
Elspeth Naismith
David Naismith Spaidal
