Donald Terry Wismer

Donald (Don) Terry Wismer passed away at home in Ottawa on March 11, 2026, surrounded by loved ones. Born in Edmonton on May 13, 1944, he was the son of Harold Leslie Wismer and Kathleen Alice Quilley, brother of Judy Martin, husband of the late Margit Clara Buchter (Feb 27, 1944 — Mar 17, 2024), father of Sacha, Thomas, Peter and Nicola, grandfather of seven and great‑grandfather of two.

A gifted athlete and scholar, Don attended MIT and later graduated from the University of Alberta, where he helped found the Theta Chi fraternity. He joined External Affairs in 1966 and spent much of his life representing Canada abroad — living and working in Milan, Rome, New York, Prague, Belgrade, Athens, Vancouver, Madrid, Ottawa, Cleveland and Detroit — leading his family with pragmatism, curiosity and a ready laugh. He loved travel, good company, fine wine, music, and the sea; in Athens he proudly captained a boat christened Happiness Is.

A storyteller, a skeptic, a hedonist of measured taste and a man who valued friendship and kindness, Don shaped the lives of his children and grandchildren by example.He delighted in composing haiku for moments that mattered and left this one for us all now:

O Death be not proud

Know we, love and memory

Are not in Thy shroud

Don would be glad if you raised a glass in his memory. There will be no ceremony; his living-wake celebration in 2025 was his last public toast.

Messages of condolence may be shared with friends and family online.

In lieu of flowers a small donation to the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario or UNICEF would be appreciated.