Of Listowel passed away surrounded by the strength and love of his family at Listowel Memorial Hospital on Friday, September 26, 2025, in his 83rd year. Don was the beloved husband of Elke (Lanaus) Aitken. He was the loving father/father-in-law of Paul Aitken & Mackenzie Blakely-Aitken of Parrsboro, Nova Scotia, and caring father/father-in-law to Glen Aitken & Tara Galberg of Guelph. Don was the proud grandfather of Michael, Emily, Wilson, Nora, Maxwell, and Finley Aitken, as well as Zachary Ravlin. He was the brother/brother-in-law of Karl & Joanne Aitken of Mount Forest, Jim & Karen Bodendistle of Mount Forest, Debbie Aitken of Timmins, and Erwin & Janet Lanaus of London. Don is predeceased by his parents, Milton & Florence (Eccles) Aitken, as well as his father/mother-in-law, Erwin and Wilma (Schulz) Lanaus. He was also predeceased by his fraternal twin brother, Dougal, his younger brother Lyle, his brother-in-law Eric Lanaus, his sister-in-law Ellen (Langdon) Lanaus, and his grandson, Caden Ravlin. A noble and respectful citizen of the community, Donald was an all-around good man, who always put others before himself. He was intelligent, wise, and well-educated, yet he maintained a lifestyle of steadfast humility. He worked hard, but he also played hard. And he was a great listener. Don grew up on a 200-acre family farm, north of Mount Forest, Ontario. Raised in a hardworking family throughout the 1940s and 1950s, he attended elementary school in the village of Holstein, where he discovered that he excelled in academics. He read most of the books in the school’s small library, and when there weren’t any more books to read, he simply read them again. Before and after school, he helped his family with farm chores. Digging fences, shoveling manure, plowing fields, baling hay, and feeding animals were all done by hand. Life was hard. After Grade 8, Don entered high school in the town of Mount Forest. He continued to do well in school, and he also discovered his passion for athletics. During one Track & Field Day, Don set a high-school record for the half-mile race. This record held for 13 years, until it was beaten by a competitive cousin who was determined and encouraged to beat his record. In his final year of high school, he enrolled in nine events in the annual Track & Field meet. In these nine events, he won three first-place ribbons, three second-place ribbons, and three third-place ribbons. His high school sweetheart and future wife, Elke Lanaus, was the most decorated female athlete in the same track meet. Both Don and Elke were subsequently selected to attend an Athletic Leadership Camp, a proud moment for both of them in their final high school year. After high school, Don decided to combine his interests in academics and athletics by pursuing a career in education. After graduating from the Ontario Teachers College in Stratford, he also graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Waterloo. He entered the workforce as an elementary school teacher, specializing in teaching physical education, science, geography, and mathematics. Inspired by energetic kids who wanted to do more, he endlessly led after-school programs and coached countless numbers of athletic teams. Don’s first year of his teaching career was spent at Ayr Public School, west of Cambridge. Shortly thereafter, he saw an opportunity at Wallace Public School, a modern new school that was opening in Gowanstown, just north of Listowel, Ontario. He was accepted as a teacher into this school, starting with a class of 45 Grade 7 students, a class size that would be unthinkable today. Over the next 30 years, he educated thousands of students in North Perth, teaching at Eastdale Public School, Elma Public School, and Listowel Central School. He was the vice-principal at Listowel Central School between 1972 and 1986. But Don wasn’t just a teacher. At the same time, he and his wife Elke operated a small farm on the edge of Palmerston between 1969 and 1982. They were also successful beekeepers throughout the 1970s, maintaining around 150 hives of bees and harvesting tons of organic honey which was sold into the community each year. Don remained an athlete for his entire life. As a boy, he loved nothing more than to play baseball in the summer, and outdoor hockey in the winter. As an adult, he and Elke balanced their work lives by remaining active on many community sports teams, playing baseball, curling, golf, and pickleball. And they made many lifelong friends along the way. After retiring from teaching in the 1990s, Don and Elke enjoyed a long retirement together, nearly three decades in length. They retired at the young age of 53, and decided to become snowbirds, spending half of each year in Florida, establishing many new friendships in the communities of Destin and Fort Myers. By remaining active in the sunshine for twelve months per year, they spent their retirement years focused on family, friends, and athletics. Even into their seventies and eighties, Don and Elke continued to play golf, tennis, and bridge, with active daily schedules. Only a few weeks before his death, Don shot a 48 on the first nine holes at the Listowel Golf & Country Club, at the golden age of 82. Two weeks before his death, the Aitken Family visited Listowel District Secondary School, where they established the Aitken Memorial Scholarship Fund. Starting with the graduating class of 2026, this will be the largest annual scholarship at LDSS, and is a testament to Donald’s eternal commitment to free and public education in the community of North Perth. The funeral service was held at Trinity United Church, Listowel on Monday, September 29, 2025 at 11:00am, with visitation one hour prior and reception that followed. The funeral was live-streamed and the link available on the funeral home website. Interment will follow in Fairview Cemetery, Listowel. Memorial donations to Listowel Memorial Hospital would be appreciated, and may be made through the Eaton Funeral Home, Listowel. Online condolences may be left at www.eatonfuneralhome.ca
