Obituary for Donna Susan Fletcher (Haugh)
Donna Susan Fletcher
Aug.26, 1938 – Mar.20, 2023
Surrounded by the love of God, family, and friends, Donna passed away peacefully, at the Belleville
General Hospital, in her 85 th year. In a draft of a memoir she starts “Faith, Family and Friends – these
have been the foundations of my life.”
She is pre-deceased by 3 beloved husbands Al Timpson, Tom Dukes, and Grant Fletcher, her parents,
Wilson and Susan Haugh, her brother Don Haugh, and her 2 sons Rob and David Timpson. She will be
missed dearly by surviving family members: son Steve (Marilou), daughter Susan (Emmanuel, Nana Ama)
and daughters-in-law Debbie and Brenda Timpson. She was beloved grandmother to many
grandchildren, Amber Meeks, Jophiel, Hannah, Ishmael and Kofi Sarkodie, Shannon (Brandon), Chris
(Jocelyn), Matthew and John Timpson, and 3 great-grandchildren, Akayen, Samuel and Madeline. Her
two nephew’s Andrew and Ian Haugh and sister-in-law Julie(Frank) will also miss her profoundly.
Donna was born in Toronto, to loving parents Susan and Wilson. Her Dad, who was a CFL player, and
Grey cup winner, and then owner of Haugh’s Products; called her “Skipper” and “Sunshine”, and they
had a close, loving relationship. During her early years, her father built a fence at their High Park Avenue
home to keep her in, and she climbed over it while he was still finishing the gate. She attended Moulton
College, a private girls’ school for a while, but preferred to attend the local high school where she made
many friends. Growing up, Donna excelled at school, was president of the debating team, and editor of
several papers. Donna spent many happy summers at Aunt Helen and Uncle Don Baxter’s home in
Bloomfield, Ont.
Her family had a strong, deep faith, and she found faith, and attended church regularly throughout her
lifetime. Donna became a pianist, then an organist at church services. She embraced the Anglican
Cursillo renewal movement, where Al and Donna became lay leaders.
Donna was married to her high school sweetheart Alvin Francis Earl Timpson for 42 years, and lived in a
variety of interesting places while Al worked as a teacher and principal: Ottawa, Athabasca Alberta,
Sioux Lookout, Verona, Sydenham, and Kingston Ontario.
While parenting her busy family, Donna made time for many things: starting a preschool in Alberta,
starting and editing a local paper (The Triangle), and foster-parenting many children. While housing first
nations students in Sioux Lookout Ontario, Ahmoo Angeconeb became a permanent honorary member
of the family, and she loved her honorary grandchildren Hunter and Mem. She remained a passionate
advocate for first nation’s rights in Canada, and wrote a short screen play in the early 70’s addressing
the injustice of residential schools in Canada.
An avid reader, Donna became a prolific writer. She was always a strong voice for the needy, a champion
for social justice, advocate for the environment, and a generous, thoughtful friend. Donna worked in a
number of settings over the years, including teaching in Ottawa, Administrative Assistant at Queen’s
University, and Lay Director for the Sisters of Providence in Kingston.
Donna and Al worked for many years to help establish Sydenham Woods Christian community, and lived
there in partnership with many beloved friends. They built a house near the woods and waterfront on
Sydenham Lake, where they prayed and sang, laughed often, raised chickens and turkeys, grew produce,
and made maple syrup together. This was a wonderful spot for Donna’s young grandchildren to visit,
and play at the beach. Al built the house in such a way that they could watch their beloved chickens
from the living room window.
Donna volunteered in many ways: the beginning of recycling in Sydenham, the development of the hot
lunch program in North Kingston schools, and helping to fund overseas orphanages. She read aloud
weekly to a friend who was blind, and helped many others who were in need of a loving friend.
Donna bravely nursed Al during 2 long years of battling ALS and she deeply grieved the loss of her best
friend and soulmate. Al passed away in 2000.
Donna later got remarried to Tom Dukes, a much loved and well-respected Veterinarian Pathologist and
an Anglican deacon, and became the beloved step-mother of Rebecca and Peter Dukes from Kemptville,
and sister-in-law to Jim (Mary), Linda (Jim), and Henry (Nancy Jean) Dukes from the Sault St Marie area.
After only nine short months of marriage, Tom died suddenly in December, 2004.
God was gracious to Donna, and she found a new soulmate in her third husband, Grant Fletcher, a
retired military Captain and penitentiary chaplain. They met and fell in love, while both were very
involved at St. John’s Anglican Portsmouth. Grant passed away in 2020.
After a few months of living alone during Covid, her dear friend Noreen Peters invited Donna to come
and live with her, in her Kingston home. Donna later went to live with her son Steve, Marilou, and
grandson Matthew, in Trenton, where she joined St James Anglican Fellowship, read daily, played
Scrabble and Bananagrams, helped with meal preparation, told jokes, and watched and commented
vigorously about the news.
She grieved profoundly the deaths of her two sons, Rob and David, earlier this year. Donna’s health
continued to decline and she died peacefully, surrounded by family listening to the hymn “The Lord’s My
Shepherd”.
Donna will be deeply missed by her family, friends, neighbours and colleagues, and will be remembered
as a woman of great strength, faith, generosity, and courageous leadership. Donna’s prayer is that
someday we will all join her in heaven, as we choose to walk daily with Jesus as Friend and Saviour.
A Funeral Service in Celebration of Donna’s life will be held at St James Anglican Fellowship, 15 South
Street, Trenton Ontario on the 16 th of May 2023, at 11:30am.
Gifts in memory of Donna may be directed to the ALS Society, or St James Community Kitchen, the free
lunch program of St James Anglican Fellowship.
Aug.26, 1938 – Mar.20, 2023
Surrounded by the love of God, family, and friends, Donna passed away peacefully, at the Belleville
General Hospital, in her 85 th year. In a draft of a memoir she starts “Faith, Family and Friends – these
have been the foundations of my life.”
She is pre-deceased by 3 beloved husbands Al Timpson, Tom Dukes, and Grant Fletcher, her parents,
Wilson and Susan Haugh, her brother Don Haugh, and her 2 sons Rob and David Timpson. She will be
missed dearly by surviving family members: son Steve (Marilou), daughter Susan (Emmanuel, Nana Ama)
and daughters-in-law Debbie and Brenda Timpson. She was beloved grandmother to many
grandchildren, Amber Meeks, Jophiel, Hannah, Ishmael and Kofi Sarkodie, Shannon (Brandon), Chris
(Jocelyn), Matthew and John Timpson, and 3 great-grandchildren, Akayen, Samuel and Madeline. Her
two nephew’s Andrew and Ian Haugh and sister-in-law Julie(Frank) will also miss her profoundly.
Donna was born in Toronto, to loving parents Susan and Wilson. Her Dad, who was a CFL player, and
Grey cup winner, and then owner of Haugh’s Products; called her “Skipper” and “Sunshine”, and they
had a close, loving relationship. During her early years, her father built a fence at their High Park Avenue
home to keep her in, and she climbed over it while he was still finishing the gate. She attended Moulton
College, a private girls’ school for a while, but preferred to attend the local high school where she made
many friends. Growing up, Donna excelled at school, was president of the debating team, and editor of
several papers. Donna spent many happy summers at Aunt Helen and Uncle Don Baxter’s home in
Bloomfield, Ont.
Her family had a strong, deep faith, and she found faith, and attended church regularly throughout her
lifetime. Donna became a pianist, then an organist at church services. She embraced the Anglican
Cursillo renewal movement, where Al and Donna became lay leaders.
Donna was married to her high school sweetheart Alvin Francis Earl Timpson for 42 years, and lived in a
variety of interesting places while Al worked as a teacher and principal: Ottawa, Athabasca Alberta,
Sioux Lookout, Verona, Sydenham, and Kingston Ontario.
While parenting her busy family, Donna made time for many things: starting a preschool in Alberta,
starting and editing a local paper (The Triangle), and foster-parenting many children. While housing first
nations students in Sioux Lookout Ontario, Ahmoo Angeconeb became a permanent honorary member
of the family, and she loved her honorary grandchildren Hunter and Mem. She remained a passionate
advocate for first nation’s rights in Canada, and wrote a short screen play in the early 70’s addressing
the injustice of residential schools in Canada.
An avid reader, Donna became a prolific writer. She was always a strong voice for the needy, a champion
for social justice, advocate for the environment, and a generous, thoughtful friend. Donna worked in a
number of settings over the years, including teaching in Ottawa, Administrative Assistant at Queen’s
University, and Lay Director for the Sisters of Providence in Kingston.
Donna and Al worked for many years to help establish Sydenham Woods Christian community, and lived
there in partnership with many beloved friends. They built a house near the woods and waterfront on
Sydenham Lake, where they prayed and sang, laughed often, raised chickens and turkeys, grew produce,
and made maple syrup together. This was a wonderful spot for Donna’s young grandchildren to visit,
and play at the beach. Al built the house in such a way that they could watch their beloved chickens
from the living room window.
Donna volunteered in many ways: the beginning of recycling in Sydenham, the development of the hot
lunch program in North Kingston schools, and helping to fund overseas orphanages. She read aloud
weekly to a friend who was blind, and helped many others who were in need of a loving friend.
Donna bravely nursed Al during 2 long years of battling ALS and she deeply grieved the loss of her best
friend and soulmate. Al passed away in 2000.
Donna later got remarried to Tom Dukes, a much loved and well-respected Veterinarian Pathologist and
an Anglican deacon, and became the beloved step-mother of Rebecca and Peter Dukes from Kemptville,
and sister-in-law to Jim (Mary), Linda (Jim), and Henry (Nancy Jean) Dukes from the Sault St Marie area.
After only nine short months of marriage, Tom died suddenly in December, 2004.
God was gracious to Donna, and she found a new soulmate in her third husband, Grant Fletcher, a
retired military Captain and penitentiary chaplain. They met and fell in love, while both were very
involved at St. John’s Anglican Portsmouth. Grant passed away in 2020.
After a few months of living alone during Covid, her dear friend Noreen Peters invited Donna to come
and live with her, in her Kingston home. Donna later went to live with her son Steve, Marilou, and
grandson Matthew, in Trenton, where she joined St James Anglican Fellowship, read daily, played
Scrabble and Bananagrams, helped with meal preparation, told jokes, and watched and commented
vigorously about the news.
She grieved profoundly the deaths of her two sons, Rob and David, earlier this year. Donna’s health
continued to decline and she died peacefully, surrounded by family listening to the hymn “The Lord’s My
Shepherd”.
Donna will be deeply missed by her family, friends, neighbours and colleagues, and will be remembered
as a woman of great strength, faith, generosity, and courageous leadership. Donna’s prayer is that
someday we will all join her in heaven, as we choose to walk daily with Jesus as Friend and Saviour.
A Funeral Service in Celebration of Donna’s life will be held at St James Anglican Fellowship, 15 South
Street, Trenton Ontario on the 16 th of May 2023, at 11:30am.
Gifts in memory of Donna may be directed to the ALS Society, or St James Community Kitchen, the free
lunch program of St James Anglican Fellowship.