Passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, at Soldiers' Memorial Hospital, Orillia on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, in his 94th year. Beloved husband of the late Shirley (nee Chapman). Loving father of Michael (Melanie Starr), Julie Brown (Doug), Karen Won (Michael), and Kevin (Anita Montgomery). Proud grandfather of Kendall, Devon, Matthew, Caroline (Jon), Austin (Marie-Ange), Emily (Matt), Natalie, Sarah, Peter, and Nathaniel. Dear brother of Ralph (Ann) both predeceased, Neil (predeceased) (Norma), John (Margaret, predeceased), Tom (predeceased) (Jean), Sue Johnston (John, predeceased), and Linda Kidney (Paul). Doug will be missed by his companion over the past 22-years, Heidi Hutson.
Doug was a renowned commercial artist, illustrator, and cartoonist. He was born in Guelph Ontario, one of seven siblings. From humble beginnings, as a teenager, Doug sketched silhouettes at the Canadian National Exhibition. After high school, Doug was employed as a commercial and portrait artist in Montreal and Toronto.
In 1957, Doug married his wife of 44 years, Shirley, who was his life and business partner. Doug fell in love with Shirley at first sight and was devastated by her passing in 2001. With Shirley’s encouragement, Doug went freelance in Toronto in 1957, illustrating for major Canadian textbook and magazine publishers. For 12-years, the Toronto Star, Canada’s largest newspaper, commissioned Doug to paint their holiday cards.
Doug became a cartoonist for Playboy magazine in 1964 and was the longest contributor with over 400 full-page colour cartoons. Also in the mid 1960s, Doug became a daily political cartoonist, first with “Doug Sneyd” in the Toronto Star and later with “Scoops” that he syndicated in over 150 North American papers. These features ran for nearly 20-years. Doug followed up with a heartwarming feature, “Wee Whimsy.”
In 1969, Doug and Shirley moved their family north to a waterfront home they commissioned in Orillia, Ontario. Doug loved this architectural masterpiece and lived/worked there for the remainder of his life. Doug, Shirley, their four children, and four dogs adored the Orillia community and landscape. An early health enthusiast, Doug promoted family participation in sailing, ice boating, swimming, skiing, running, morning workouts, healthy eating, gourmet cooking, and Algonquin Park canoe trips. Shirley and Doug enjoyed many lifelong friendships, including Vic Bustard, Bob Donnell, Hugh Revell, and the Orillia “Old Men Walking” group.
Doug’s creativity was multifaceted. An inventor, Doug tinkered with road reflectors, rafts, sailboats, underground structures, industrial illustrations, Belt-Buddy, and patented Solarsphere. In 1993, Doug wrote, produced, and directed “Black-eyed Susan”, an educational movie about spousal abuse for the Ontario government. Even in his final weeks, Doug was working on a play and invention improvements.
Doug was a founding member of the Canadian Society of Book Illustrators and was a member of the National Cartoonists' Society and the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists. The National Archives of Canada in Ottawa contains 235 of Doug’s works.
Doug’s family thanks the health care professionals who provided exemplary care: Dr. Dharssi, Soldiers Emergency Department, Soldiers One, the Respiratory Therapy Department, Allied Health, and his Personal Support Workers.
A Celebration of Doug's Life will be held in the spring - location and date to be confirmed. In memory of Doug, donations to Soldiers' Memorial Hospital Foundation, Orillia https://osmhfoundation.ca/donate/ would be appreciated and can be made through the Mundell Funeral Home (705) 325-2231.