We regret to advise of the death of Earl Milton Doucette of Lethbridge, AB on 1 May 2016 at the age of 95 years.
Earl was born in New Aberdeen Glace Bay, NS. After a short stint of working in a coalmine, Earl enlisted and joined the 13th Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers. He was a Royal Canadian Engineer veteran of the Second World War and served in Italy and Holland. He loved the people he met and returned to Holland in 1995 and made a special visit to the town of Balkbrug, where his company repaired a bridge in the closing days of the war.
During an end-of- war celebration, Earl was discovered as a singer and was soon labeled as a "dramatic tenor". Upon returning home, he attended The Julliard School in New York City and studied music. On graduating and returning to Nova Scotia, Earl performed in the Nova Scotia Opera Company, where he sang in operas such as Madam Butterfly, Marriage of Figaro, Lohengrin, and Countess Marissa.
In 1953, Earl and his wife were offered teaching jobs on the Blood Reserve in southern Alberta. They worked there for 12 years writing wrote operettas and set up concerts for their students to perform. They later moved to Lethbridge where they lived and taught school.
At Earl's request a private family service was held.