November 7, 1928 – March 24, 2026
Desmond St. Lawrence was born in Winnipeg Manitoba to British parents, Harry St. Lawrence and Effie St. Lawrence (nee Worthington). Growing up, Des attended the local United Church. He belonged to the Boys Brigade where he made many lifelong friends and was part of the church youth group where his love of music and dancing really took off. He participated in growing award-winning gladiolas with his father right in their front yard on McDermot Ave. He was a compost making fella, an interest which began in his early years, and enjoyed the results of these efforts wherever he lived, growing various indoor plants in straight compost. Some plants grew two stories high in this potent substance.
Desmond met the love of his life while at University, a lovely Interior Design student, Ruth Adele McGregor (‘Del). Once finished their studies, they married in April 1957, and Des spent 55 years with his “Peach Blossom” until her passing in 2011. Shortly after their marriage, they moved into a home on Community Row in Charleswood, Winnipeg. Here he enjoyed a favourite hobby of growing Rex begonias in a greenhouse he built. Their first child, Roy, came along in 1964 followed shortly by twins Sterling and Keith in 1965. Des indulged his love for dogs by acquiring his first full size dachshund named Bip. Many treasured four-legged creatures were dearly loved and cared for by Des and ‘Del, including shitzus Sunny and Cher, and Egyptian hound, Cleo. Des was well known to neighbours and passers-by during walks with these companions in all of the communities where he spent time. Many of these interactions resulted in lifelong friendships.
Des’ early work life included mowing grass for the city of Winnipeg with a reel mower, a job he spoke about as being “not really his thing”! He went on to get his first Architecture job at Blankstein Russel in Winnipeg. As his career moved on, he started a firm with a partner, known as Herman and St. Lawrence. Desmond also had the opportunity to travel to Ghana to work on schools there for a brief time. Later in his career, Des worked for the Province of Manitoba Public Schools division. Dad spent many days on road trips with us showing us the secret places in schools, boiler rooms, maintenance areas, crawl spaces, and roofs.
Des’ interests were many and varied. He had a keen interest in vehicles of all kinds, leading to a collection of favourite models, publications and pictures. He enjoyed music and dancing or just tapping his foot to live or recorded dixieland, jazz and dancehall tunes. Even when his hearing and vision began to fail, you could tell the rhythm was still part of him. These were the times when a good cocktail, a Manhattan of course, and a tasty snack, likely chocolate, made the moment all the more enjoyable.
Living on Salt Spring Island was a dream made real when Des and ‘Del moved there during the winter-to-remember of December 1996. Luckily, they brought their shovel with them in their motor home from Manitoba! On the island, Des and ‘Del continued their weekly library visits and perusing the bookstores for their favourite topics and added weekly visits to the market tours around the island’s many beautiful shorelines, hunting for treasures. Des and ‘Del travelled back to Manitoba by motor home and made it for the birth of their first grandchild. The couple also made trips across the country to Quebec and Ontario for visits with Sterling, Gina, Keith and Savita.
There are many thanks to give to all of the kind people who continued to care for Des in later years. Dear friends and neighbours, especially Reanne Kanne, David and Betty Kempling, Ann Heeley-Ray, and caregivers at Saltspring Embrace, Better at Home Island Community Services, and Greenwoods Personal Care Home. We are so grateful to you all who treated him like family, his chosen family.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 1:30pm on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at Meadon Hall (located in the lower level of the Salt Spring Island Legion, 120 Blain Rd).
Memorial donations in honour of Desmond may be made directly to the Greenwoods Eldercare Society, 133 Blain Road, Salt Spring Island, BC, V8K 1Z9.
To express condolences, share memories and photos, please visit: www.sandsduncan.ca
Sands of Duncan, 250-746-5212.