Donald Walter Fred Dziadow
November 29, 1964 – April 5, 2023
Peacefully at his home in Arborg, Donald Dziadow passed away on April 5, 2023. He will be sadly missed by his housemates and support staff at Riverdale Place Homes Inc., co-workers and supervisors at the Riverdale Place Workshop and many friends in the community.
Donald was pre-deceased by his parents, Walter and Mary Dziadow, who had devoted themselves to his care, protection and wellbeing for many years, until they were no longer able to do so. Donald was born in Rivers, Manitoba on November 29, 1964, and later moved with his parents to Arborg, where he lived most of his life. He was born with Down Syndrome at a time when there was little known about the condition and few resources available in the community. Walter and Mary provided a loving home environment for Donald, where his intelligence and good humour were appreciated, nurtured and stimulated.
In 2012 Donald moved into a group home in Arborg. This was a challenging transition for Donald, during which he displayed great courage and resiliency. He went on to form new friendships, with housemates, staff and community members. Donald was a big WWF fan and loved to watch wrestling, both in person and on television. He had a large collection of memorabilia, knew the names of all the popular wrestlers and enjoyed imitating their antics. Donald was affectionate and fun-loving and had a wonderful sense of humour. He held a special place in our hearts, and we are all richer for having known him. We will miss him dearly and fondly remember his gentle ways, his jokes, his zest for life – the unique and genuine person that he was.
Cremation has taken place and a private celebration of life will be planned for a later date.
“To be what we are, and to become what we are capable of becoming, is the only end of life”
Robert Louis Stevenson