Dr. Ivan Ethelbert Daunt

Ivan Ethelbert Daunt, aged 99. A long-time resident of Yorkton, Sask, passed away near Dawson City, YT on August 17th, 2026.

Born in Glanmire, Co. Cork, Ireland in 1927, the son of George and Mary (Willis) Daunt. He was the youngest of three boys, his older brothers being Ronnie and Cyril. He attended Cork Grammar School and then the medical school at University College, Cork.

After university, he did a residency at Dudley Road Hospital, in Birmingham, UK, where he met his future wife, Frances Bonaker, known as Bonnie by her friends and Nancy by her family. They were married in January of 1952.

After their daughter Jacqueline was born in 1953, Ivan enlisted with the Royal Army Medical Corps and the family was stationed in Hong Kong, where Kieran and Juliet were born. After his service was complete, they returned to the UK, where Michael was born. Ivan then became the Assistant County Surgeon in Bantry on the southern coast of Ireland.

Seizing the opportunity to move to Canada, Ivan set up practice in Invermay, Saskatchewan in 1962. Felicia and Mark were added to the family during this time. After three years there and a brief stint in Saskatoon, he finally settled down in Yorkton in November of 1966, joining Drs. Houston, Crossley and Houston. He would stay there until he finally retired in 2011 at the age of 84, have practiced medicine for over 60 years.

Ivan was always an active person who loved sailing and swimming. He would occasionally try hunting and fishing but never seemed to kill or catch anything. He was fascinated by geology, setting up his amateur lapidary workshop in the basement of his house. He also dabbled in plastics and silver-smithing. But his two passions were politics and gold prospecting. He attempted to run for office several times, both provincially and federally, but without success. And he spent over 50 years working every summer in the Klondike, outside of Dawson City (with the occasional foray into opal prospecting in Australia), often flying his little plane, which helped him avoid the notorious Alaska Highway.

Ivan is survived by his six children: Jacqueline, Kieran, Juliet, Michael (Elizabeth), Felicia (Gareth Cook) and Mark (Candy), as well as his grandchildren Luke Palmer (Samantha), Joshua Palmer (Lauren), Isaac Daunt, Flynn Daunt, George Andrew Daunt, Thomas Daunt, Zachary Daunt (Katie) and Jacob Daunt. He is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews, and six great-grandchildren.

Ivan was predeceased by his wife, Bonnie, in 2009 and his brother Cyril passed away at the age of 98 in 2024. His brother Ronnie died young in the 1930s.

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