Douglas William Mahaffy
March 15, 1945 - January 6, 2019
We are devastated to announce that Douglas William Mahaffy lost his short but valiant fight against metastatic melanoma. His adoring family was with him to provide support and comfort to him in his final days.
Shakespeare could not have been more wrong when his Soothsayer warned "Beware the Ides of March", as an incredibly loving man was born on March 15, 1945 to Howard and Kirby Mahaffy.
He is survived by the love of his life and his wife of 50 years, Adrienne (nee Faust). He will be forever loved and never forgotten by his children Kirsten, Scott (Kathleen), Roy, Nicole and Michelle and his kind and thoughtful grandchildren Nicholas, Lauren, Logan, Beatrice and Neveah.
Doug had a profound influence on countless people throughout the years. His legacy will be one of kindness, respect, generosity and philanthropy. These traits are well known to his family and friends who would all agree that Doug made the world a better place.
He was an avid traveler and, from Baffin Island to Mozambique, it would be difficult to find a place on the map on which Doug had not stepped foot with his constant travel companion Adrienne at his side. His love for playing hockey and baseball as a youth evolved into a passion for skiing, golf and racquet sports. He read voraciously to the point where it was difficult to recommend a book that he had not already read. Every friend was the beneficiary of his love of fine wine as he delighted in finding just the right bottle to share.
Doug would not want his many accomplishments highlighted but they are worth noting as evidence that a good, kindhearted person can achieve great success. He attended East York Collegiate and would go on to earn both a B.A. and an M.B.A. from York University. In between degrees, he achieved the Chartered Accountant designation.
He went on to have a successful career in business including senior executive positions at Hudson's Bay Company and Merrill Lynch and a long and impactful tenure as President and Chief Executive Officer of McLean Budden Limited. He proudly served on the Investment Committee of the Sunnybrook Hospital Foundation as well as the Board of Directors of Stelco Inc., Methanex Corporation and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board.
The business world is not known as a place of great compassion but Doug proved that a strong leader need not be a tyrant. He established a warm atmosphere in which kindness was seen as an asset and in which the birth of a colleague's child was as important as winning a new account. As a result, it has been no surprise to hear such incredibly warm words of kindness and support from those with whom he has worked over the years. Many of those messages were shared with him and gave him encouragement during treatment.
His family would like to pass along their most sincere thanks to his friends, as the support provided has been immeasurable. Many thanks also to the doctors, nurses and staff at the Odette Cancer Centre for their efforts. The family would also like to thank the doctors, nurses and technicians with the Local Health Integration Network for enabling him to find peace in the comfort of his own home. The compassion and advice of Dr. Peter Goldfarb will also not be forgotten. The family is deeply grateful for the incredible dedication and warmth shown by the staff of The Florian who made sure that his every need was met with a smile.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Melanoma Research at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.
Friends and family can make their donation via Sunnybrook Foundation by phone (416-480-4483), web https://donate.sunnybrook.ca/tribute or mail
c/o Sunnybrook Foundation
2075 Bayview Avenue, KGW-01
Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5

There will be a celebration of Doug's life in the Spring.

We are heartbroken because the world has lost not only a great man, but it has lost a profoundly good man.