In Loving Memory of
Donald Robert (Kono) French
1954 - 2024
Obituary of Donald Robert (Kono) French
Donald Robert (Kono), born June 19, 1954, from Thorold, Ontario, passed away peacefully on August 24, 2024 at the Welland Hospital. A lifelong resident of Thorold, Don was known for his connection to his hometown and his passion for hockey.As a devoted fan of the Montreal Canadiens, he cheered for his team and embraced every moment of the game. Don made a significant impact as a Thorold hockey coach and supporter of youth sports. His dedication to young athletes and their love for the game left a mark on the Thorold.
Don is survived by his brother Barry and several nieces and nephews. He will be missed by his family, friends, and all those who had the pleasure of knowing him.
He will be remembered for his enthusiasm for hockey, and his impact on the community. Don’s family wishes to extend their heartfelt gratitude to the nursing staff at the Welland Hospital and to the caregivers at Northland Pointe for their compassionate care and support. He truly felt at home living with his lake view.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made in his honour to the Thorold Amateur Athletic Association.
In accordance with his wishes, there will be no funeral service. His memory will live on in the hearts of those who knew him.
Service Information
There are no upcoming public services scheduled or the service has occurred in the past.Write a Condolence
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Donations
The family of Donald Robert (Kono) French would like you to consider placing a donation to one of the following charities:
If desired, donations may be made to the Thorold Amateur Athletic Association. Please mail cheque to: Thorold Amateur Athletic Association P.O. Box 13 Thorold, ON L2V 3Y7Note: If you make a donation, please notify the family by posting a condolence.
I’m so sad to hear this. I just thought of him and thought I haven’t heard from him in a bit so I thought to message him. Is he buried in Thorold? I’d love to visit him.
I am so sorry to hear of Don passing. I took care of him in his home and enjoyed our conversations. I will think of him often.
We are so sorry to hear about Don’s passing. We truly enjoyed taking care of him in his home. We talked sports and the town that he loved so much. His laugh was contagious and his kindness will not be forgotten.
Jessica Bocchinfuso
And Jen Taylor
Blessings to the Heavens above for they have received a gentle and kind soul . The stars will shine much brighter both day and night
Our heart felt sympathy and condolences to Donnie’s Family – and to all of his other close friends & ‘buddies’ – We share in your grief for our true, gentleman friend. He was my pal and confidente -we weathered some storms and life changes – all the while, he made me smile. Donnie, you will be deeply missed. With love, Michèle Rosier Jones & Chris Jones XO
We met Don through our daughter, Rhonda Wormald; she found Don while searching for her birth father. Uncle Don and Rhonda hit it off and she wanted us to meet Don too. We found Don to be a kind and gentle soul; full of good cheer and many stories. We didn’t know Don long but did exchange phone calls and emails after the meeting. We shall miss Don’s great personality and smile.
We met Don through our daughter, Rhonda Wormald, she met Don while searching for her birth father. She met Uncle Don during this search; they got along very well and we met Don through her. We didn’t know him long but were very impressed by his kind and gentle personality. We did visit after the meeting via telephone and email. We found Don to be a great guy, very cheerful and full of great stories. We shall miss him.
Don and I worked together for many years and developed a friendship while we both lived in Thorold. You will be missed Don. Our condolences Barry and to the French family.
Rest in Peace Don.
Frank Pupillo
To Barry and the French family, my dearest condolences on the loss of Don (kono) . We were best friends for over 36 years from helping out with him together with hockey and baseball. Alot of great times together we had. A huge Montreal Canadian fan as i was too. I will miss you deeply my friend. You were the best friend I ever had in my life. My dearest condolences to Barry and family. Rest in peace my friend.
Leonard Savoia
To The French family,
You have my heartfelt sympathies with the passing of Don. We were old high school friends and had stayed connected through social media in recent years. Don truly was a kind and gentle soul, RIP my friend!
Our Condolences, to you and your family Barry
My sincere condolences to the French family. A wonderful Person
My condolences to Don’s family. I no Don from working at S&P Data. He was such a great person and always so positive. He was a gentle soul who always made me feel welcomed. Even after 24 or so years after leaving He still checked up on me to see how I was doing. He always asked about my family. Will greatly miss his chats.
My condolences ???? to Don’s family. He was my manager when I worked downtown St.Catharines years ago. I affectionately called him “Mr Big”. I saw him a few times after and we were both so happy to see each other. I’m really saddened to read about his passing. I’ll miss you Mr Big, rest in peace
Our deepest condolences on the sad news of Donny’s passing. He will always be remembered as a gentle soul with a heart of gold ????. RIP Donny.
Barry, n Julie Was ever so sorry to hear of Don’s passing. Have fond memories of growing up with him. Heaven has gained one amazing angel
Uncle Don will be deeply missed by the whole family, community and all who had the pleasure of being a part of his life. Uncle Don was always smiling, full of stories, laughter and hockey stats !
Love you always
Alyssa (Scott) French