Message: We are honored to provide this Book of Memories to the family.

Message: Remembering Don as a man of great compassion and wisdom.

Message: My memories are mostly from Muldrew. The first is from the late 60s, shortly after the Gillies bought the Patterson cottage and my grandfather and I went over: Don asked Grandpa to play something on the piano and we heard Danny Boy. Of course, there were many services over the years at Memorial Pines, conducted by both our grandfather and Don. I think Don was kind of a torch-bearer from the older preachers down there. Not sure who's going to organize the services now. In the 70s/80s I remember being invited over for gin and tonic on the deck, followed by dinner by Don, or visits to the little beach. Every time we/I got to visit the lake from far-flung Manitoba, there was a dinner invitation. The last time I was at our cottage in 2006, I was invited for Thanksgiving dinner, complete with cranberry sauce made from berries harvested from the lake. I'll miss paddling my canoe over there, sometimes to get a ride into town. One night I was treated to the sounds of, among other songs, "Some Enchanted Evening" drifting across the water as I drifted off to sleep. The last time I saw him was five years ago, when he gave my bicycle and I a ride over the lake in his boat, so I could cycle into town more easily. I still have to show him where the portage was that he didn't know about... Whenever I wrote my long email travel stories, Don was one of the few to respond right away - or at all. Re my travels in Europe and Poland, I remember him saying he was more taken with Bratislava than Prague. Hard to comprehend how all that musical ability and knowledge just vanished. Such a sociable guy and probably my best friend at the lake. Definitely won't be the same down there. but I'll think of him whenever I gaze across the water from our place. Jim

Message: He was a kind man.

Message: I was deeply saddened to hear of Don'death. He was truly a wonderful man, filled with humor, compassion and talent. He will be greatly missed.I send my love to you and your family,Mimi,and will think of you often. with love and great memories, Joan McCalmont

Message: Thank You for the Memories.

Message: Our deepest sympathy to the Gillies family. We loved Don so much and will miss him greatly. He married us in 1987 and loved and supported us in so many meaningful and enjoyable ways. We shared our great love of music with him and with Mimi. We are blessed to have known him and will always have him in our hearts.MandM

Message: Don shone a light in the darkness of a secular age by promoting an understanding among all faiths through such organizations as IDEA Burlington, serving on the Interfaith Committee for years, inspiring so many of us to pray together. You live on in our hearts, Don.

Message: Don shone a light in the darkness of a secular age by promoting an understanding among all faiths through such organizations as IDEA Burlington, serving on the Interfaith Committee for years, inspiring so many of us to pray together. You live on in our hearts, Don.

Message: Don, I feel so blessed to have known you for the short time that I did and I secretly adopted you as my second dad. You touched my heart as you did so many. You will forever be remembered for the incredible man, father, husband, friend that you were to so many. Your family is a tribute to you and the beautiful soul that you are. We will never forget you. My heart-felt condolences to Mimi, Maureen, Donna, and your entire family.

Message: Don was a classmate of my Father's and later he was at my ordination. Don was a kind, gentle soul. When you spoke to him he really listened to what you were saying!