Patient and persevering, Donald Hope is the right man for throwing a bomb under the sea

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Donald Hope: Naval officer. diver. Bomb expert. Ama. Born in Nov. 6. 1927, in Victoria, BC .; died September 30, 2021, in Victoria, of cancer; age 94.

Donald Hope.Family courtesy

Don grew up in Victoria and his taste in exploration began as a child with his cousins ​​playing by the river in Sooke, BC In his youth, Don saw an old army gas mask. He made a raft, hosed the mask and jumped into the lake while holding on to a boulder. On the descent, the pressure of the water shattered the glass on his face. Don dropped the rock and shot to the surface where his head hit the raft. Don survived this experiment and his curiosity about diving continued to grow.

Don attended University School in Victoria, he graduated in 1943 and joined the Merchant Navy. Later, following in his father’s footsteps, he joined the Royal Canadian Navy. Don was one of the first members of the Fleet Diving Unit and trained in bomb disposal and demolition. Don once recounted a disarmament in an underwater mine where an internal fuse was connected to a timing mechanism. The only way to demobilize it is to press mine hammer, activate the timer then press it again to reset it. This is repeated until the timers battery is depleted. Don and another diver took turns, floating to swap air tanks before returning to continue hammering the mine.

Don approached mine like many of life’s worries, with patience and perseverance. Disarming bombs, he once said, is safe as long as you think it is dangerous and dangerous when you think it is safe. He applied this philosophy to many things. While talking on the phone once, a wasp flew over his pants. I’m sorry for a moment, he said calmly, a wasp flew into my pants.

He survived both bombs and wasps over the years. In February, 1970, the SS Arrow, an oil tanker, ran aground at an oil dump and threatened the coast of Cape Breton Island. Don helped lead the recovery to pump millions of gallons of oil from the sunken ship. The oil slick divers were called Dirty Dozen, and Don was awarded the Order of Military Merit.

While stationed in Halifax, Don met Laura Black, a young navy nurse. They married in 1967 and lived in Dartmouth, across the bridge from the naval base. They had two children, Janice and David.

In the winter, Don built snow forts for the children so they could play in their own winter wonderland. The family moved to the West when Don was assigned to Victoria. Gerbils followed by hamsters joined the household. One day, David brought home a stray dog ​​named Cookie. Don stopped everything, especially when he found out Cookie had puppies and the household grew again.

After 41 years of maritime service, Don retired and became an active member of the Victorias Thermopylae Club at the Maritime Museum. In the mid-70s, he adopted two grandchildren, Matthew and Jocelyn. They love grandparents ’grilled cheese sandwiches. He enjoyed their visits, often retreating to the basement to return with an old book or family artifact to share. In his early 80s he bought a bicycle to pedal with Matthew, who learned to ride.

Over the past few years, Don has suffered a series of minor strokes while also being diagnosed with cancer. He was eventually transferred to the Veterans Memorial Lodge where Laura, his wife of 54 years, joined him a few months later.

This kind, thoughtful and patient man will be missed by his family and by all who know him. Be the birds: Don enjoyed a morning walk in Uplands Park and picked apples from the back garden to eat while on the road. He is often followed by the seagull, eagerly waiting to receive the core. One day on his walk, Don noticed that a storm had removed the hummingbirds ’nest. He changed the nest and often returned to check on their well -being.

Michael Wale is Don’s son -in -law.

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Lives Lived celebrates the daily, extraordinary, unspoken lives of Canadians that have passed away recently. To learn how to share the story of a family member or friend, go to tgam.ca/livesguide

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