Donald is a loyal friend. His enthusiasm sparkles. His curiosity is venturesome and boundless. He probes philosophical and religious questions. He is a devoted churchman.
One weekday evening he and I were putting on a program at the church. As we were setting up what we needed in the room to present our program, we discovered to our dismay that the equipment we were planning to use at the church, – it may have been a slide projector,- was not available for the purpose for which we needed it. For Donald, this was no problem. No one had arrived for the meeting. It was still a bit early. There was one at McGill he could borrow. We hopped on the bus, rode to McGill. He disappeared in one its buildings on campus and reappeared shortly. We got back to the church before anyone else appeared. It had been a minor problem, solved quickly, easily, and cheerfully. The spirit in which he sailed through this minor glitch has stayed with me through the years.
He has been a devoted church member and contributed much to its life, providing leadership, sharing stimulating ideas, and enthusiasm. At a time when our financial burdens seemed overwhelming, he lectured us with mathematical calculations I could barely follow, arguing we were in much better shape than we thought we were. Within a couple of years we seemed to turn a corner and were setting aside funds for new housing for people with problems of mental illness.