SHRIMPTON, David Edward “Dave”

January 27, 1939 — February 24, 2026

It is with deep love and a great sense of loss that we announce Dave’s peaceful passing at the age of 87, at Kelowna General Hospital, with family at his side.

Dave lived a life that was truly special. From an early age, Dave had three major interests: music, airplanes, and travel.

Dave always had music flowing through his head and could be heard singing a tune at any time. He played guitar and formed a rock band in Winnipeg in the 1960s.  Dave also played keyboard by ear and loved jamming with other musicians and sharing musical ideas. He especially enjoyed teaching people to play guitar, or encouraging them to return to an instrument they hadn’t played in some time. Numerous people were affected by this passion.  In his final days, Dave could still be heard singing from his hospital bed.

Dave was always willing to give a helping hand. From going out in a raging thunderstorm to help a stranger dock his sailboat, to changing someone’s tire on a remote road in Alaska, he helped out family, friends and strangers in a multitude of ways. When they asked what they could do for him, he always said “Help others.” He reminded us that as you toss a pebble in a pond, the ripples reach all shores, so we are to make them ripples of good deeds.

Dave was born & raised in Winnipeg, MB. Pursuing his love of airplanes, he became an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME). He began his training while serving 10 years in the Royal Canadian Air Force in Manitoba.

Switching to civil aviation in the mid 1960s, Dave, his first wife Joyce, and their children moved to Edmonton, AB. Based there, Dave worked mainly in the remote Arctic as an AME and Flight Engineer.

Dave returned to Winnipeg in 1986 to be with his second wife Linda. There he mainly worked for Air Canada. In his spare time, he was an active member of the Charleswood Ski Club, cross-country skiing in the winter and canoeing and backpacking in the summers. He also could be seen dancing energetically and playing a wide variety of card games.

Dave was very interested in teaching others and received certificates in Adult and Continuing Education and Quality Assurance Management from the University of Manitoba.

At age 55 he retired. He had the good fortune of a long, healthy, and very active retirement. His motto was “Retire early. You can always get more money but you can’t get more health”.

He spent many winters in Apache Junction, Arizona. As an example of his varied interests there, he ran the computer club for several years, played tennis, hiked, sang and played guitar in a band, performed in comedy skits, and directed four plays. He was particularly honoured when the cast presented him with the “Golden Bunny Award” for Best Director.

During retirement, Dave chose to return to work to share his knowledge, both as Quality Assurance Manager for Kelowna Flightcraft in Hamilton, ON and as an instructor in the aircraft maintenance program at Red River College in Winnipeg.

As an example of his adventurous spirit, he and Linda spent eight summers sailing Lake Ontario and the Thousand Islands on “Cloud Nine”, a 29 ft. C&C.

Retirement also included more camping, fishing, and wilderness exploring in one of three small motorhomes. This was in addition to extensive world-wide travel and cruising. Dave loved far away places and was always planning a trip to somewhere new. In 2025, at the age of 86, he was still hiking and exploring Newfoundland and Labrador in search of music, scenery, lighthouses, and puffins.

Dave was predeceased by Joyce and his siblings: Richard, Joan, Albert, and Ron.

He is survived by his wife Linda; his children with his first wife Joyce: Curtis, Michael, James, Dianne, David, John, Richard, and Kathy; his grandchildren Becky, Heather, Amy, Kellie, Rosalie, Jennifer, Nicole, Dustin, Kandace, and Kayla; along with several great-grandchildren.

We send our love to all who knew him. His bright light will be greatly missed.

Dave recently described his story as a “Most Interesting Journey”.

Safe travels, Dave.

We would like to thank all the staff at Kelowna General Hospital for the incredible care that they provided during his stay with them.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Kelowna General Hospital (KGH Foundation) or to a charity of your choice.

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