Obituary for Don McGowan
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Don McGowan
Born Jan. 24, 1938, Montreal, Que.
Died Feb. 27, 2023, Brockville, Ont.
Peacefully after a brief illness, Don McGowan, the longtime Montreal broadcaster, died Feb. 27, 2023, at Brockville General Hospital.
Donald Lloyd McGowan was born Jan. 24, 1938, in Montreal. He was the second son of Lloyd McGowan, a Montreal sportswriter, and Myrtle Cook McGowan, an Olympic gold medalist who later became one of Canada’s first female sportswriters.
At 19 years old, Don began what would become a 41-year broadcasting career, landing his first job at CKX Television in Brandon, Man. There he met Barrie Dunsmore and Doug Johnson and the “Three Amigos” remained cherished and lifelong friends.
A year later, Don moved to Quebec City and joined CKMI TV as staff announcer. His next stop took him to Cornwall, Ont., where he joined the new CJSS TV station, remaining there until late 1962, when he returned to his hometown and joined CFCF TV. He remained at CFCF until his retirement in 1998. Don was well known as the station’s top weatherman, providing weather forecasts sprinkled with his unique sense of humour and wit. He also entertained viewers with his interview shows McGowan & Co. and McGowan’s World. He took CFCF viewers around the globe as one of the hosts of the popular Travel Travel show.
Away from the camera, Don enjoyed spending time with his family and friends at his cottage in Vermont, where cycling, tennis and enjoying the beauty of the Green Mountains brought him much joy. Summers were spent in Cape Cod, Mass., where he forged many friendships with cottagers from the U.S. and Canada who were unaware of his celebrity in Montreal, but simply enjoyed his company and gregarious personality. Those friendships lasted a lifetime.
Don was proud of his Montreal roots, and always considered himself an “Outremont boy.” He was also keenly proud of his parents and their careers and would not hesitate to tell the stories of his mother’s Olympic glory. Myrtle Cook McGowan was a member of the “Matchless Six” Canadian women’s relay team that won the gold medal at the 1928 Amsterdam Games, the first Games in which women were allowed to compete. She was also for a time the women’s world record holder in the 100 metres.
Don had a passion for baseball, mainly from spending the summers of his youth at Delormier Stadium watching the Montreal Royals Triple-A team play while his father Lloyd wrote the game story. He attended the first Montreal Expos game at Jarry Park and, in 1973, he mesmerized his then eight-year-old son by predicting a home run by Henry Aaron. “He’s hitting the next one out,” Don told his son. Aaron complied, hitting a home run on the very next pitch.
In 1961, Don married the “girl next door,” Rosemary Vautier of Outremont. Their five-year courtship began following an urgent drive by Don from Montreal to the Algonquin Hotel in St. Andrew’s by the Sea, N.B., where his beloved Rosemary had taken a summer job. In the ensuing years, the family grew with a daughter, Andrea Kathryn in 1963, and a son, Donald Lloyd Hedley in 1965.
A few years after retiring, Don relocated to Brockville, Ont. With a passion for theatre and never being one to sit idle, Don joined forces with Peter Dunn to spearhead the refurbishment of the Brockville Arts Centre, where Dunn was manager. Over the next two years, they, along with a team of volunteers, were able to raise more than $1.5 million, through private and corporate donations and government funding, to bring the arts centre back to grandeur. The project brought Don much joy and allowed him to firmly establish himself in his adopted hometown.
While TV viewers will remember Don as the jovial broadcaster who was always quick with a quip, those who knew him remember him as a devoted family man and great friend. The odd hours required for his CFCF obligations sometimes made it difficult for him to attend all the usual family events, but he would always do his best to be there to support and encourage his family in all their pursuits. The time he spent with family on vacation and weekend getaways to Vermont were precious to him.
Don is survived by his wife of 61 years, Rosemary Vautier; daughter Andrea (Michael) of Kingston, Ont.; son Donald (Christine) of Toronto; grandsons Liam and Zane; nephew Robert McGowan of Gabriola Island, B.C.; and niece Lisa Moir of Prince Edward County, Ont. He is predeceased by his older brother Kenneth McGowan of Mount Forest, Ont.
The family would like to acknowledge and thank the staff at Brockville General Hospital and St. Lawrence Lodge for their remarkable care and compassion.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Salvation Army and the Palliative Care Program at Brockville General Hospital (brockvillegeneralhospital.ca) would be appreciated.
A celebration of Don's life will take place on Saturday, March 11, 2023, from 2 to 5 p.m., at Irvine Funeral Home and Chapel, 4 James Street East, Brockville, Ontario.
Send condolences or share a special thought of Don on the memory wall above.
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Don McGowan
Born Jan. 24, 1938, Montreal, Que.
Died Feb. 27, 2023, Brockville, Ont.
Peacefully after a brief illness, Don McGowan, the longtime Montreal broadcaster, died Feb. 27, 2023, at Brockville General Hospital.
Donald Lloyd McGowan was born Jan. 24, 1938, in Montreal. He was the second son of Lloyd McGowan, a Montreal sportswriter, and Myrtle Cook McGowan, an Olympic gold medalist who later became one of Canada’s first female sportswriters.
At 19 years old, Don began what would become a 41-year broadcasting career, landing his first job at CKX Television in Brandon, Man. There he met Barrie Dunsmore and Doug Johnson and the “Three Amigos” remained cherished and lifelong friends.
A year later, Don moved to Quebec City and joined CKMI TV as staff announcer. His next stop took him to Cornwall, Ont., where he joined the new CJSS TV station, remaining there until late 1962, when he returned to his hometown and joined CFCF TV. He remained at CFCF until his retirement in 1998. Don was well known as the station’s top weatherman, providing weather forecasts sprinkled with his unique sense of humour and wit. He also entertained viewers with his interview shows McGowan & Co. and McGowan’s World. He took CFCF viewers around the globe as one of the hosts of the popular Travel Travel show.
Away from the camera, Don enjoyed spending time with his family and friends at his cottage in Vermont, where cycling, tennis and enjoying the beauty of the Green Mountains brought him much joy. Summers were spent in Cape Cod, Mass., where he forged many friendships with cottagers from the U.S. and Canada who were unaware of his celebrity in Montreal, but simply enjoyed his company and gregarious personality. Those friendships lasted a lifetime.
Don was proud of his Montreal roots, and always considered himself an “Outremont boy.” He was also keenly proud of his parents and their careers and would not hesitate to tell the stories of his mother’s Olympic glory. Myrtle Cook McGowan was a member of the “Matchless Six” Canadian women’s relay team that won the gold medal at the 1928 Amsterdam Games, the first Games in which women were allowed to compete. She was also for a time the women’s world record holder in the 100 metres.
Don had a passion for baseball, mainly from spending the summers of his youth at Delormier Stadium watching the Montreal Royals Triple-A team play while his father Lloyd wrote the game story. He attended the first Montreal Expos game at Jarry Park and, in 1973, he mesmerized his then eight-year-old son by predicting a home run by Henry Aaron. “He’s hitting the next one out,” Don told his son. Aaron complied, hitting a home run on the very next pitch.
In 1961, Don married the “girl next door,” Rosemary Vautier of Outremont. Their five-year courtship began following an urgent drive by Don from Montreal to the Algonquin Hotel in St. Andrew’s by the Sea, N.B., where his beloved Rosemary had taken a summer job. In the ensuing years, the family grew with a daughter, Andrea Kathryn in 1963, and a son, Donald Lloyd Hedley in 1965.
A few years after retiring, Don relocated to Brockville, Ont. With a passion for theatre and never being one to sit idle, Don joined forces with Peter Dunn to spearhead the refurbishment of the Brockville Arts Centre, where Dunn was manager. Over the next two years, they, along with a team of volunteers, were able to raise more than $1.5 million, through private and corporate donations and government funding, to bring the arts centre back to grandeur. The project brought Don much joy and allowed him to firmly establish himself in his adopted hometown.
While TV viewers will remember Don as the jovial broadcaster who was always quick with a quip, those who knew him remember him as a devoted family man and great friend. The odd hours required for his CFCF obligations sometimes made it difficult for him to attend all the usual family events, but he would always do his best to be there to support and encourage his family in all their pursuits. The time he spent with family on vacation and weekend getaways to Vermont were precious to him.
Don is survived by his wife of 61 years, Rosemary Vautier; daughter Andrea (Michael) of Kingston, Ont.; son Donald (Christine) of Toronto; grandsons Liam and Zane; nephew Robert McGowan of Gabriola Island, B.C.; and niece Lisa Moir of Prince Edward County, Ont. He is predeceased by his older brother Kenneth McGowan of Mount Forest, Ont.
The family would like to acknowledge and thank the staff at Brockville General Hospital and St. Lawrence Lodge for their remarkable care and compassion.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Salvation Army and the Palliative Care Program at Brockville General Hospital (brockvillegeneralhospital.ca) would be appreciated.
A celebration of Don's life will take place on Saturday, March 11, 2023, from 2 to 5 p.m., at Irvine Funeral Home and Chapel, 4 James Street East, Brockville, Ontario.
Send condolences or share a special thought of Don on the memory wall above.
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