Walter Douglas Wren was born to Walter Wren and Vera Tilley a few months after his father's death in a flying accident. His mother later married Max Roth, who provided the financial support for Douglas to attend Bristol Cathedral School.
Douglas enjoyed cycling through the countryside whenever he had time to spare. A diary entry dated June 11, 1939, notes, "Went for a dip in Redcliffe Bay. Met a girl cyclist there." On June 26, he writes, "Am feeling sick about Sheila. I have got her under my skin so to speak, and I can't forget her."
Sheila Williams couldn't bear the thought of Douglas dying in a submarine, so he joined the Royal Air Force. He wed Sheila on Jan. 29, 1942, and they travelled to London by train for their honeymoon.
On March 26, Douglas's plane was badly damaged by anti-aircraft fire while on a bombing raid over France, and although gravely injured he managed a crash landing on British soil. His men had bailed out on the return trip, which haunted him for the rest of his life. As he lay in his hospital bed Sheila arrived, having ridden 10 miles on her bicycle to tell him she was pregnant with their first daughter, Janice.
While working as an architect in Bristol after the war, Douglas happened upon an advertisement that announced "Canada Needs You." He moved to Ottawa with Sheila, Janice and their second daughter Diana in 1956, later teaching at Carleton University. In the early 1970s, he became a professor at Laval University in Quebec City, leaving an indelible impression on a generation of architecture students.
Douglas was delighted with the frequent visits of his four grandchildren. To this day, they bear the lung capacities and scars - as well as a love of nature and physical exertion - that attest to the epic cycling and running trips he took them on in both summer and winter. No slouch himself, he took part in marathons and ski races all over the world, added triathlons to his repertoire in his 70s and was still competing into his 80s.
Over the last few years, Douglas spent a good deal of time reflecting on the war. He mentioned more than once that he was well past his "sell-by" date. Determined to stay in his house with Sheila, he accepted the intrusion of hired help with good grace. He looked forward to the visits of his family, which had grown to include nine great-grandchildren.
Last August he suffered a fall serious enough to warrant a trip to the hospital, and the paramedics obligingly carried him out of the house feet first, although in a sitting position. He died three weeks later with his beloved wife of 67 years at his side.
Sarah Harrison is Douglas's granddaughter.