Obituary for David Boughner
David Boughner
December 3rd, 1966, to May 9th, 2023.
With profound sadness, the Boughner family announces the loss far too soon of our beloved friend, husband, father, son, and brother. At age fifty-six David courageously and peacefully passed away in the comfort of his home surrounded by his family, after an intense seven-year battle with Multiple Myeloma. He leaves behind his immediate family including his wife, best friend, and greatest cheerleader Allison; his two daughters Jennifer and Samantha who were his pride and joy, his parents Bill and Sandy, his brothers Gordon and Michael and his furry companion River.
Dave had a clear vision of what it meant to be an exceptional husband, father, friend, and member of the community. He set a high bar for himself based on a deep set of values and, in the process, he inspired countless others in their life and career. He was the first customer for every business possible. He actively sought out opportunities to support people in his community – starting their careers, building a business, or creating referrals that would take a business to the next level.
Dave was known for his humour and quick-witted one-liners that left people howling. In his incredible career, the only setback was a comment in an employee survey that “Dave is not as funny as he thinks he is”. This confounded David for years.
While we could focus on David’s outstanding accomplishments, the humble guy he was would hate that. Instead, here’s a brief summary of his life.
David grew up in Oakville Ontario with his older brother Gordan and his younger brother Michael. He went to Oakville Trafalgar High School and spent hours at the Oakville Club and had many misadventures with “the Dudes”. He loved summers as a child in Lake Simcoe, his youth at Camp Onondaga and working and playing hard in Muskoka. David went to Western University where he quickly surrounded himself with a lifelong community of friends, who never stopped swapping stories and memories of good times. After helping found Delta Tau Delta and the ensuing adventures, David took a “Dean Sabbatical” to move West to Whistler for a year, working as a ski guide at Ski Esprit. A year of skiing powder, boozy adventures, and finding a profound sense of community, made Whistler, BC such a special place for his whole family.
Worlds collided after university when David and Allison met. Dave and Ali were an instant team and at age twenty-five were married in Toronto. Dave and Ali enjoyed thirty-four incredible years together and never stopped supporting and helping each other grow as people, all while having fun. They raised their two girls in Toronto while enjoying summers at Stoney Lake and Muskoka before moving full-time to Collingwood last year.
David started his career at Mars Inc. which influenced his lifelong commitment to Mars Bars being the perfect hiking food. He then followed his business mentor to Best Foods (Uncle Ben’s) and finally to the pharmaceutical industry. David dedicated 20+ years to Teva Canada, where he made his career in marketing and strategic planning or, according to his daughter, her father “sold drugs”. David was a highly respected leader. At the same time, he loved working with people who challenged and inspired him. Never wasting a single second, David was actively involved in his children’s activities and in his community. If there was a board to be on, an event to be planned, or a project to be done – David was there, providing thoughtful leadership, and drawing out the best in people involved.
In reflecting on his life, David’s proudest accomplishments were his two children, his marriage, his family, and his communities of friends, which spanned his entire lifespan. From “the dudes” in Oakville, Western friends, the canoe trip boys, John Wanless parents, fellow ski racers and our Osler/Collingwood community to name a few, David invested his time in everyone he loved. He found immense joy and pride in his hobbies, from skiing, golf, cycling, hiking, dirt biking, and boating to his birds, projects, and caring for his home. David loved his travels in Africa, Costa Rica, Europe, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, and Canada. David’s life was full of activities, all with a well-timed joke. He never stopped being interested in everything and trying to learn something new. For David, the Osler chairlift was the perfect opportunity to catch up with everyone and share priceless stories.
At 49, David was diagnosed with a terminal cancer called Multiple Myeloma. After David’s diagnosis, life became a serious business for him. He squeezed in a lifetime of family experiences, accelerated his volunteer impact, and passed on his considerable wisdom to his two daughters, all within the few short years he had left. Nothing held him back in doing this, not even excruciating, all-consuming cancer treatments that would topple mere mortals. Thank you Dad – we’ve got this now.
On May 4th, 2023, he made the most courageous decision to start palliative care and end his fight exactly on his terms, say his goodbyes, share his lessons and take the next step with grace. We know he is finally smiling and laughing freely without pain and is already planning how to use his time in heaven wisely until we all meet again.
David's vision was to live simply and cherish all the small joys in life. He celebrated the uniqueness and individuality of every person. David lived each day of his life and fought his battle with the utmost tenacity and courage, astounding his doctors, family, and friends. Dave’s life with his friends was BIG in so many ways - big laughs, big adventures, big plans, and big dreams for all of us. In his death, we are comforted by the beautiful communities of people who loved David, and the stories shared of how David impacted so many lives.
Death ends a life, not a relationship. As a family we ask everyone who loves David to honour their relationship by continuing to share your favourite memories and to be inspired by the lessons he taught you about living. In lieu of flowers, please donate blood to the Canadian Blood Services or donate to Multiple Myeloma research at the link below to help others fighting along the same journey. Details of the memorial service will follow.
https://give.themmrf.org/donatefordave
December 3rd, 1966, to May 9th, 2023.
With profound sadness, the Boughner family announces the loss far too soon of our beloved friend, husband, father, son, and brother. At age fifty-six David courageously and peacefully passed away in the comfort of his home surrounded by his family, after an intense seven-year battle with Multiple Myeloma. He leaves behind his immediate family including his wife, best friend, and greatest cheerleader Allison; his two daughters Jennifer and Samantha who were his pride and joy, his parents Bill and Sandy, his brothers Gordon and Michael and his furry companion River.
Dave had a clear vision of what it meant to be an exceptional husband, father, friend, and member of the community. He set a high bar for himself based on a deep set of values and, in the process, he inspired countless others in their life and career. He was the first customer for every business possible. He actively sought out opportunities to support people in his community – starting their careers, building a business, or creating referrals that would take a business to the next level.
Dave was known for his humour and quick-witted one-liners that left people howling. In his incredible career, the only setback was a comment in an employee survey that “Dave is not as funny as he thinks he is”. This confounded David for years.
While we could focus on David’s outstanding accomplishments, the humble guy he was would hate that. Instead, here’s a brief summary of his life.
David grew up in Oakville Ontario with his older brother Gordan and his younger brother Michael. He went to Oakville Trafalgar High School and spent hours at the Oakville Club and had many misadventures with “the Dudes”. He loved summers as a child in Lake Simcoe, his youth at Camp Onondaga and working and playing hard in Muskoka. David went to Western University where he quickly surrounded himself with a lifelong community of friends, who never stopped swapping stories and memories of good times. After helping found Delta Tau Delta and the ensuing adventures, David took a “Dean Sabbatical” to move West to Whistler for a year, working as a ski guide at Ski Esprit. A year of skiing powder, boozy adventures, and finding a profound sense of community, made Whistler, BC such a special place for his whole family.
Worlds collided after university when David and Allison met. Dave and Ali were an instant team and at age twenty-five were married in Toronto. Dave and Ali enjoyed thirty-four incredible years together and never stopped supporting and helping each other grow as people, all while having fun. They raised their two girls in Toronto while enjoying summers at Stoney Lake and Muskoka before moving full-time to Collingwood last year.
David started his career at Mars Inc. which influenced his lifelong commitment to Mars Bars being the perfect hiking food. He then followed his business mentor to Best Foods (Uncle Ben’s) and finally to the pharmaceutical industry. David dedicated 20+ years to Teva Canada, where he made his career in marketing and strategic planning or, according to his daughter, her father “sold drugs”. David was a highly respected leader. At the same time, he loved working with people who challenged and inspired him. Never wasting a single second, David was actively involved in his children’s activities and in his community. If there was a board to be on, an event to be planned, or a project to be done – David was there, providing thoughtful leadership, and drawing out the best in people involved.
In reflecting on his life, David’s proudest accomplishments were his two children, his marriage, his family, and his communities of friends, which spanned his entire lifespan. From “the dudes” in Oakville, Western friends, the canoe trip boys, John Wanless parents, fellow ski racers and our Osler/Collingwood community to name a few, David invested his time in everyone he loved. He found immense joy and pride in his hobbies, from skiing, golf, cycling, hiking, dirt biking, and boating to his birds, projects, and caring for his home. David loved his travels in Africa, Costa Rica, Europe, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, and Canada. David’s life was full of activities, all with a well-timed joke. He never stopped being interested in everything and trying to learn something new. For David, the Osler chairlift was the perfect opportunity to catch up with everyone and share priceless stories.
At 49, David was diagnosed with a terminal cancer called Multiple Myeloma. After David’s diagnosis, life became a serious business for him. He squeezed in a lifetime of family experiences, accelerated his volunteer impact, and passed on his considerable wisdom to his two daughters, all within the few short years he had left. Nothing held him back in doing this, not even excruciating, all-consuming cancer treatments that would topple mere mortals. Thank you Dad – we’ve got this now.
On May 4th, 2023, he made the most courageous decision to start palliative care and end his fight exactly on his terms, say his goodbyes, share his lessons and take the next step with grace. We know he is finally smiling and laughing freely without pain and is already planning how to use his time in heaven wisely until we all meet again.
David's vision was to live simply and cherish all the small joys in life. He celebrated the uniqueness and individuality of every person. David lived each day of his life and fought his battle with the utmost tenacity and courage, astounding his doctors, family, and friends. Dave’s life with his friends was BIG in so many ways - big laughs, big adventures, big plans, and big dreams for all of us. In his death, we are comforted by the beautiful communities of people who loved David, and the stories shared of how David impacted so many lives.
Death ends a life, not a relationship. As a family we ask everyone who loves David to honour their relationship by continuing to share your favourite memories and to be inspired by the lessons he taught you about living. In lieu of flowers, please donate blood to the Canadian Blood Services or donate to Multiple Myeloma research at the link below to help others fighting along the same journey. Details of the memorial service will follow.
https://give.themmrf.org/donatefordave