WILLIAM (BILL) DAMAN

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WILLIAM (BILL) DAMAN Born in Winnipeg, March 14, 1918, Bill passed away suddenly on December 28, 2003 while visiting his family in Winnipeg. Bill was raised in the Birds Hill area of Winnipeg where his family had a market garden. In 1934, the family moved to Lot 161, St. Marys Road in St. Vital and began market gardening this property, creating a partnership between Bill, his father, Jan and his brothers, John and Chris. With a tremendous amount of hard work, the business thrived. A mink ranch was added in the mid 1940s along with representation of several equipment manufacturers. With the outbreak of the Second World War, Bill enlisted in the Army in 1941 and was given his Basic Training. In 1942 he married Roberta Lawrie on June 29 and joined the R.C.A.F. where he trained, received his "Wings" and Commission a Pilot Officer in 1943. In 1944, he received his Commission as Flyer Officer and became a Flight Instructor for the Fleet-Air Arm Training Base in St. Eugene, PQ. In 1945, after the end of the war, Bill received his discharge and returned to civilian life and Lot 161 with Roberta. He was one of the instigators in establishing a new school district in St. Germain, helped build Mountbatten School in 1948 and served several years as Chairman of the Board of Trustees. Bill and Roberta raised three daughters, Bonnie Roberta (Arthur Quesnel) of Lanigan, SK, Marilyn Sheila (Paul McNaughton) of Langley, BC and Rhonda Dien Daman of Ottawa, ON. In the late 1940s, Bill became a Director of the Winnipeg Gardeners Co-op and then became Manager in 1951. Also that year he was appointed as a Director of the Canadian Horticultural Council and served as President in 1957 - 1958. In 1956, Bill became Manager of Gardeners Sales Ltd., which was formed as the Marketing Organization for the Winnipeg Gardeners Co-op and the Manitoba Vegetable and Potato Growers Co-op Association. In 1964, with the help of many, the Manitoba Vegetable Marketing Commission was established with Bill as Manager, a position he held until he was appointed Secretary Treasurer of the Canadian Horticultural Council and the Canadian Fruit Wholesalers Association in Ottawa in 1969. He worked tirelessly for the Council and the Association until his retirement in 1983. Bill was a member of the Rotary Club in Winnipeg and in Ottawa and served on many Committees in fund raising and youth activities - the Crippled Childrens Committee and Adventures in Citizenship. He loved hunting, fishing, curling and golf and spent many wonderful times with his family and friends enjoying these activities. Bill and Roberta moved to Langley, BC in 1999. Besides his daughters and sons-in-law, Bill is survived by four grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren, Kevin (Robyn) Quesnel, Saskatoon, SK and children, Kari Lynne, Mitchell and Bryan; Daryl (Marci) Quesnel, Martensville, SK and children, Alyse and Daman; Michelle (Paul Roukema), Lorette, MB and children, Kaytlin and Emily; and Jason (Jennifer) McNaughton, Grand Pointe, MB and children, Hannah and Ty, as well as his twin sisters, Johanna Morton and Leida Topley and brother and sister-in-law Chris and Mollie Daman, all of Winnipeg. Bill was predeceased by his wife Roberta; mother Marie; father Jan; sisters, Dien (Mulder), Mary (Doherty), Annie (Keedian) and brother John Daman, all of Winnipeg. A memorial service for Bill will be held at 1:30 p.m., February 6, 2004 at St. Marys Road United Church, 613 St. Marys Rd., St. Vital.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Feb 05, 2004