Douglas John Ballantyne

Douglas John Ballantyne, a beloved father and grandfather, passed away peacefully on December 10, 2025, at the age of 74. His daughter was lovingly by his side, a gentle reflection of the closeness they shared.

Born in Guelph, Doug grew up alongside his two brothers, sharing countless adventures that shaped a life filled with joy and cherished memories. His curiosity and love of the outdoors carried through the years, inspiring those around him with his sense of wonder. Doug’s warmth, kindness, and easy laughter left a lasting impression on everyone he met, and his stories of youthful escapades were treasured by family and friends alike.

Doug attended Queen’s University from 1970 to 1974 graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree with Honours in Electrical Engineering. While at Queen’s he ambitiously studied pre-med in parallel with engineering and was an active participant in the intramural sports program including basketball, hockey, and squash. He established many lifelong friendships, most notably with fellow students at a campus residence and a shared house. Many of these close friendships were actively nourished for years to come by way of annual expeditions for winter skiing and an annual fishing weekend which Doug hosted at his cottage on Bobs Lake.

During his successful and distinguished career following graduation, Doug developed extensive expertise in electronic/systems engineering through industry positions as a Radar Engineer at the Canadian Marconi Company (Ottawa, ON), an R&D Engineer at the Transportation Development Centre (Montreal, QC), and a Communications, Navigation, Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) Consulting Specialist at OmniVision Systems (Ottawa, ON).

Always looking for the opportunity to combine socializing, music and the odd beverage, DJ visited the 1972 Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest to become a founding member of the Oktoberfest Temperance League (OTL). Recruiting a sizable group of members, he had a direct hand in the development of it’s mission statement, official golf shirts and paraphernalia. Given the strong groundwork he laid down, the OTL continues the mission to this day (maybe somewhat tempered by age). Equally important, and much anticipated, were his legendary cottage fishing trips – one for members of the OTL and one for the baseball boys. DJ knew that the lake couldn’t withstand a combined event.

Doug was a Renaissance man with a wide range of interests - a talented engineer, golfer and skier, blues and jazz aficionado, photographer and adventurous chef. He enjoyed spending time his granddaughters teaching them about nature, animals, crafting, photography, fishing, cooking and so much more. He also enjoyed his cottage on Bob’s Lake, and summer evenings fly fishing for bass with his faithful companion, Echo supervising each adventure. Doug found joy in lovingly caring for his vintage cars, and every so often he delighted in taking them out for a drive — his Triumph TR6 and his Studebaker Hawk.

Doug's memory will be carried on by his daughter Amber Ballantyne, her husband Frank, and their precious daughters Allie, Piper, and Maisie. He was a loving brother to Bruce (Christine in loving memory) and Rick (Lise) Ballantyne, and a cherished uncle to his nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his loving parents Evelyn and John Ballantyne.

A celebration of life will be held in the new year. Our family is deeply grateful for the kindness and support we received from the ALS Society. We are also immensely thankful for the exceptional care and compassion provided by the team at St. Vincent's Hospital. In memory of Doug, we invite those who wish to do so to consider a donation to the ALS Society or Bruyere Health Foundation funding allocation to Saint Vincent's Hospital, so they may continue their compassionate work.

He will be deeply missed by all who knew him, but his legacy of love, kindness, and adventure will live on in our hearts forever.