DOUGLAS GLEN SEARLE

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DOUGLAS GLEN SEARLE

March 8, 1948 - February 12, 2024

It is with profound sadness we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, Douglas Glen Searle.

Doug will be deeply missed by his wife Lisa, daughter Dawn, son-in-law Anthony, and grandson Joshua. He also leaves behind his loving stepchildren, Kris Karpoff (Angele), Dilyn, Jayden, Kaitlyn; Ryan Karpoff (Nikki), Aria, Mila, Brody; sisters-in-law, Doris Searle and Helen Searle, brothers-in-law, Stew Simpson (Laureen), Cam Simpson (Gayle), and many nieces, nephews.

He was predeceased by his parents, Margaret and LaVerne Searle, and his brothers, Jim (July 2023) and Russ (September 2023).

Doug was born in Flin Flon, a rural, mining community in northern Manitoba. His small-town roots paired well with his hands-on, adventuresome nature, and led to his career in mineral exploration. Doug loved his work and was happiest while immersed in the flow of productivity. He was a courageous, driven, man of action - a true force to be reckoned with - and fiercely loyal to those he cared for.

Always a bold character, Doug drove to Winnipeg and back, collecting shipments of Coca Cola as a teen. Legend has it that Grampa Gardwine personally took him to get class 1 license the day he was old enough to drive. At 20, Doug obtained his carpentry ticket and worked briefly for Hudson Bay. He moved on to run diamond drills, in exploration camps, throughout northern Manitoba. Eventually Doug moved his family out west to BC and transitioned to the corporate side of the mining industry. He travelled to Malaysia, Thailand, Mauritania, Tanzania, Russia, Peru, Argentina, Chile, Mongolia, China and widely, throughout the US, in pursuit of new business. In recent years, Doug went on to develop his own company shipping supply containers worldwide. He adored the thrill of the hunt - searching for hard to find parts and seeking interesting opportunities around the globe - he found many great people along the way too, and made them into lasting friends.

Doug loved to travel as much for pleasure as he did work. His last trip with Lisa was a month in Roatan, Honduras accompanied by lifelong friends Terry and Julie Leefe. He enjoyed regular excursions with his family, travelling to Hawaii, Mexico, Jamaica, Texas, Las Vegas and California. In the summers he would spend time in Manitoba at Brereton Lake; visiting friends and family on the prairie was an annual endeavour.

In many areas of life Doug held a passion for preservation; he cared thoughtfully for his surroundings and often worked to make the old new again. He maintained a multitude of valued personal items for his entire lifetime, many of which were the tools he used to restore antique automobiles, an enduring hobby for Doug. You would often find him tinkering in his home garage with the door open and chatting to his neighbours in the sun. He loved to sit outside in front of the house with a rye and coke in hand, engaging friends, and friendly passersby to join him. He was an incredibly personable and abundantly generous man.

Doug Searle didn’t do anything halfway; if he cared, he gave a hundred percent. He took beautiful care of his friends and family, always. He had a heart of gold, and we will miss him forever.

“Tomorrow is never promised, so love and appreciate the people who are in your life.”

Doug's memorial service is on Wednesday, June 26 at 10:00 a,m. at Friends Funeral Service, 2146 Main Street, Winnipeg.

Tributes: friendsfs.ca

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jun 22, 2024, Jun 22, 2024