Obituary of David Alan Reith

My brother David was born in Winnipeg on December 23rd 1952, an early Christmas surprise for our parents, as he was not expected to arrive until January.  He led a happy childhood, growing up on Linwood Street in St. James.  

A good athlete, he excelled at hockey, bowling, golf and in particular, tennis.  The majority of his summer holidays were spent at Deer Lodge Tennis club, other than our annual two week vacation at Moose Lake with the Graham family — swimming, water skiing and roasting marshmallows around the campfire. He was a hard-working student and attended Linwood Elementary School and Deer Lodge Junior High, graduating from St. James Collegiate with a solid B+ average. 

When David was in his first year of Business Administration at Red River College, he confronted his first battle with mental illness, unfortunately this challenge followed him throughout his life.  He worked for many years at Pioneer Grain, until he reluctantly had to go on long-term disability.  He lived independently, supported by Home Care in later years, and enjoyed going to Polo Park and McDonalds for coffee.

He missed our parents terribly after they died, but did his best to carry on.  He loved rock music and had a vast collection of cassette tapes; he was an avid Jets and Bombers fan and followed the major tennis tournaments with interest. In spite of his challenges, he was a kind and generous person, and remained an important and involved, much loved member of our family. 

A slip and fall on Christmas Day 2020 resulted in the worst possible outcome. He endured many surgeries, but his fractured hip could not be repaired. Even more unfortunate, was a medical episode which resulted in him becoming completely blind. Again, despite best efforts and several surgeries, his vision could not be restored.  He was treated at Concordia Hospital and remained there until March 2022.

Finally medically stable, David was transferred to Riverview Personal Care Home, where the staff was incredibly kind and competent, and David received excellent care. Even though essentially bed-ridden and blind, he enjoyed some quality of life.  He had an excellent appetite and loved his meals that were devotedly fed to him by the staff; he had a sweet tooth and thoroughly enjoyed smoothies and chocolate cookies. He continued to listen to music and followed the Jets and Bombers on the radio. An audio message or song from his great-nieces always brought a smile to his face. 

David passed away peaceful on February 28, 2024 at St. Boniface Hospital. Years of immobility had taken a toll and he developed a life threatening illness just days before he died.  

Our family wishes to thank the staff at Riverview Personal Care Home and St. Boniface Hospital for their dedicated medical attention and for their compassion.

David was pre-deceased by our parents Doug and Irene Reith. He is survived by me, his sister Linda Johnson, and my husband Don; his nephew Eric Johnson and his wife Britni, and their children Ella and Max; his niece Carleigh Beyer and her husband Mark, and their children Hazel and Emmett; and his aunt Marie Reith. 

Cremation has taken place and a private family interment will take place in the spring. 

If friends or family so desire, a donation to the Riverview Health Centre Foundation would be greatly appreciated. Website:  https://rhc.mb.ca/rhc-foundation/