It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of another founding member of the Burnaby Twilighters. Don passed away peacefully at home with his wife Courtney at his side on the morning of July 25th, 2022. He was more than a rugby player. Don was a gifted athlete and his accomplishments go on and on.
A lifelong resident of BC, Don grew up in Vancouver, but has been a resident of Burnaby since he was 17. In high school, Don was a standout track and field, rugby and basketball player, claiming he hid his schoolbooks in the family’s washing machine so he could tell his parents he had no homework and spend more time doing sports. He snuck into a gym at UBC to practise shooting hoops so often the janitors finally gave up on telling him he wasn’t supposed to be there. That fierce commitment to excellence and persistence would be a lifelong trait of Don’s and more than a few people have heard him say, “Don’t tell me why we can’t. I want to know how we can.”
Don was a great club member and will be missed by all. He was the one who came up with the idea to build the clubhouse in 1977. In 1979 and 1980 he was voted Twilighter of the Year.
Our prayers and condolences go out to Courtney and the Steen family.
