Donald (Donnie) Harold Williams
September 26, 1935 – October 24, 2018
Donnie grew up in Calgary, where his love for sports saw him in local fields and rinks through most hours of the day. He attended Crescent Heights High School and later played for the Calgary Bronks Junior Football Club, a team that went on to win the Western Canada Championship. (Donnie was named rookie of the year.)
Donnie became a successful teacher, administrator and ultimately the Supervisor of Physical Education for the Calgary Board of Education. With a B.Ed. from the University of Calgary and an M.Ed. from the University of Alberta, Donnie was featured in a book highlighting the 50 best teachers from Alberta, with an accompanying plaque hung at AE Cross Junior High School. He was instrumental in the promotion of physical education, not only in Alberta, but across the country, and received the R. Tait McKenzie award for service to humanity and dedication to the advancement of knowledge and understanding of physical and health education.
He often spoke fondly of his time at recreation leadership school, of his experiences as the Director of Kamp Kiwanis, and his work with HPEC, CAHPER and CIRA. He was an experienced and talented educator whose work resulted in numerous awards including the first HPEC Distinguished Service Award, the Queen’s Jubilee Medal, Provincial Anniversary Medal, Robert Routledge Memorial Award, and Rotary Integrity Award.