In April, CCRA donated money for a new bed at the Stacey Centre. President Kathy Rowe met with the recipient, Doug Brown, in October.

By Kathy Rowe

The CCRA would like you to meet Tony Stacey Centre resident Doug Brown. On April 24, the CCRA donated the money for a new bed to the Stacey Centre and Doug was the recipient.

Doug was born in 1944 in a farmhouse in New Salem, Nova Scotia. The farm was owned by Doug’s paternal grandparents, and he spent the majority of his youth there.

During World War II Doug’s father was in the Army and his mother was in the Air Force. His mother resigned when she discovered she was pregnant with Doug.

While in Germany his father suffered injuries when a bomb exploded beside a vehicle he was in. He spent the next 11 months recovering in a London hospital. “He didn’t get to see me until I was almost 3 years old,” Doug recalled.

Following his Grade 12 graduation, Doug left Nova Scotia and pursued a career in retail management, mostly in the Toronto area. He soon married and had a son. After many years in the retail business, Doug decided that he wanted a change of pace so he made the switch from retail to the hospitality industry. After working in several different motels in and around Scarborough, Doug finally retired at the age of 70. Unfortunately, a series of diabetes-related issues landed Doug in hospital following his retirement. He arrived at the Tony Stacey Centre in April.

When asked if he was liking his new bed, Doug exclaimed, “I’m loving the bed! The mattress can be made harder or softer to a degree. The air flows through it, too. I can raise my feet, I can raise my head and I can raise the bed. I am able to find a comfort zone. It’s really great and I’m very happy with it.”

He is also enjoying his stay at the Stacey Centre. An avid film buff, Doug loves to watch the Turner Classic Movie Channel, which runs classic films 24 hours a day. Doug is also a passionate reader. He is currently reading War and Remembrance by Herman Wouk. This story of the Second World War is certainly an appropriate book to be reading so close to Remembrance Day.