WHALEN, DONALD JOSEPH Ecclesiastic 3 - For every thing there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. A time to be born, a time to die; a time to plant and a time to reap; a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance.... Dad's time came 87 years, 10 months and 16 days from his birth. Joyfully God called him to join Mom without fuss and released his soul from a body that no longer was fully functioning. Donald Joseph Whalen was born in Halifax Nova Scotia, March 27 1928 the youngest of nine children to Harold Augustus Whalen and Agnes Pearl Lacey. With the loss of his parents by the age of 10, he was an orphan and placed in St. Pat's Home for Boys as his grandparents were unable to care for him. Running away at the age of 14 he headed into the bush and became a cooks helper. Returning to Halifax as an adult he worked on the docks and then found employment with the Canadian Pacific Railway constructing and repairing tracks. It was there that he met two Durrant brothers and then their sister Phylis. Don married Phylis Florence Durrant Feb 2, 1952 at the Central United Church in Calgary and their journey began. After their marriage Don and Phylis lived in Calgary and other small towns in Central Alberta. Family soon followed with the births of four of their children, Susan Elizabeth (1952), Donald Philip (1954), James Arthur (1957) and Wayne Richard (1961). Moving to Acme in 1964 they completed their family with David Shaun (1969). Don worked as a farm laborer, on a United Grain Growers crew, building and maintaining elevators, as the milkman for Acme and as Town Forman for the Village of Acme. He also served on the Volunteer Fire Department. From working in the bush Don loved to bake pies with golden flaky pastry and did so on most Sunday's for supper. He was also a talented wood worker and many people benefited from both useful and decorative wood pieces. Fishing was another of his passions. Taking lunches, he and fellow fisherman, Harry Leigh, travelled to all of the local ponds looking for the big one. After a number of strokes he was unable to continue these hobbies. Don was predeceased by his wife, Phylis (2009); parents: Harold Whalen (1938) and Agnes (Lacey) Whalen (1930) and his siblings Mary (1925), Edna (1933), Dorothy (1934), Marie (1936), Harold (1990), James (1992), Helen (2005) and Francis and two grandsons Donald James (1975) and Kian Edward ( 2012). He is survived by his five children, Susan (Leonard) Litz of Wimborne, Donald of Calgary, James and Shelly of Linden, Richard of Airdrie and David of Acme, who has been his primary caregiver for the last eight years. He is also survived by his seven grandchildren, Karen, Michael, Jennifer, Amanda, Crystal, Shawn and Fallon and eleven great-grandchildren, Gavin, Danielle, Mason, Ethan, Evan, Alexandria, Harrison, Dorothy-Anne, Liam, Keegan and Gabriel. Don also leaves his half-sister Theresa Jilks of Ontario. Memorial services will be held March 12, 2016, 2:00 P.M. at the Acme United Church, Acme, AB. Memorial Service 2:00 pm Saturday, March 12, 2016 Acme United Church 413 Bennett Ave Acme, Alberta, Canada