We regret to advise of the death of Major Donald Kenneth "Boots" Boutilier, CD (Ret'd) at home in Chilliwack on 1 August 2008 after a courageous fight with cancer. Boots spent 37 years in the Canadian Military Engineers.
Boots was born in Truro, NS in 1942 and joined the Royal Canadian Engineers in 1961. After his basic Sapper training at the Royal Canadian School of Military Engineering in Camp Chilliwack he was posted to 1 Field Squadron, Petawawa. During this tour he earned his parachute wings, became a combat diver and played Junior A hockey for the Pembroke Lumber Kings. Promoted to corporal, he was posted to 3 Field Squadron, Chilliwack where, amongst other activities, he undertook Explosive Ordnance Disposal specialty training. Don continued to excel in hockey and was a member of the first Engineer team to win the Canadian Forces Nationals in 1968.
During his 3 Field Squadron tour Don was promoted to sergeant and then posted to 4 Field Squadron, Germany (1971-1974). In Germany he was promoted to warrant officer and then Commissioned From The Ranks. He returned to Chilliwack to undertake officer training and followed this with a tour at Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering (CFSME) as General Military Training Troop Commander. During his career as a Commissioned Officer Boots held a variety of posts such as Airborne Operations Officer in 2 Combat Engineer Regiment as well as becoming 2i/c of the Regiment, Production Officer with the Base Construction Engineeering Section at Petawawa, Standards Officer and Tactics Instructor at CFSME, and Force Engineer in Damascus. Don was appointed Commanding Officer of 8th Field Engineer Regiment in Edmonton in 1987. After Edmonton he was posted back to Chilliwack and then ended his career with a posting to Cambodia on mine clearance duties. Boots returned to Cambodia after his retirement from the Canadian Forces in 1997 and worked on de-mining operations until 2007.
A Celebration of Life will be held for Boots at the Mess of the Chilliwack Area Support Unit SU Chilliwack Mess (on Keith Wilson Road with entry at Korea gate) on 15 August at 1330 hrs.{khMar2018) [zsp]