Obituary for David Douglas Wells
David Douglas Wells
1947 - 2020
It is with great sorrow we must announce the sudden passing of our beloved David. David left us all too early at the age of 72, on the morning of May 31, 2020, only weeks into a brief but valiant battle with cancer. Left with huge holes in their hearts are his loving wife and best friend of 50 years, Lois, his daughter Kimberley (Brian) and his two grandchildren, James and Kyle. He will be greatly missed by his brothers Gordon (Elaine) and Ross (Judy), his brothers and sisters-in-law Kenneth (Doreen), Sharon, Brenda (James “Butch”) and Richard (Kathy). David (aka “The Angel” ) will also be greatly missed by the further 55 members of the Prince family and his nieces, nephews and their children from the Wells family. David was predeceased by his parents Stanley and Murial and his brothers-in-law and sisters-in- law Edwin, Joan and Wayne.
David was a renowned executive in the Canadian communications industry, joining Bell Canada right out of the University of Toronto in 1970. His early years with the company saw him fill a range of roles in Canada and internationally, including leadership of Bell’s work to implement Saudi Arabia’s national telecom network. A pioneer in wireless communications, David would join Bell Mobility’s predecessor company Bell Cellular in 1985, serving as Chief Financial Officer, Chief Information Officer and Executive VP Human Resources over the years, ultimately becoming President and CEO of Mobility Canada, the national coalition of wireless providers, in 1994. He was asked by George Cope in 1996 to join Clearnet Communications as one of its first executives, and David helped build the wireless startup into a national player that was acquired by TELUS in 2000 for more than $6 billion – still the largest transaction in Canadian telecom history. Returning to Bell after George Cope became CEO of the company in 2008, David took on the role of Executive VP Corporate Services for BCE and Bell. He played a leading role in the launch of the Bell Let’s Talk mental health initiative in 2010 and in the development of Bell’s leading workplace mental health program.
Bell’s current CEO Mirko Bibic writes: “David was a key player in building Canada’s modern communications industry over the course of a remarkable 42-year career, and he was instrumental in establishing the high-performance team culture that is a hallmark of today’s Bell. I had the privilege of working closely with David in his time with Bell, and benefitted greatly from his wisdom, years of executive experience and friendly good nature. Our team and our company are better for his having dedicated so much to us. David will be deeply missed.”
David retired from Bell in December 2012, giving him more time for golf. A student of the game, David happily spent endless hours perfecting his swing both at Miromar Lakes G&CC in Florida and The Weston Golf and Country Club, where he served on the Board for several years. He was excited to take on the role of President at Weston, a position to which he was elected in February 2020, but sadly was only able to occupy for such a short period of time.
He enjoyed nothing more than spending time with family and friends over a glass of wine, regularly hosting large family gatherings celebrating special occasions. He was blessed with a delightful sense of humour which was exceeded only by his generosity towards family and friends. David loved to spoil their beloved dog Barley who will dearly miss his master.
The family offers special thanks to Dr. Paul Freedman.
No public funeral service is planned due to COVID-19 restrictions. A celebration of life will be scheduled at a future time. In lieu of flowers the family invites donations in David’s memory to Diabetes Canada, the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation, or David’s mother’s legacy, The Lone Pine Land Trust.
1947 - 2020
It is with great sorrow we must announce the sudden passing of our beloved David. David left us all too early at the age of 72, on the morning of May 31, 2020, only weeks into a brief but valiant battle with cancer. Left with huge holes in their hearts are his loving wife and best friend of 50 years, Lois, his daughter Kimberley (Brian) and his two grandchildren, James and Kyle. He will be greatly missed by his brothers Gordon (Elaine) and Ross (Judy), his brothers and sisters-in-law Kenneth (Doreen), Sharon, Brenda (James “Butch”) and Richard (Kathy). David (aka “The Angel” ) will also be greatly missed by the further 55 members of the Prince family and his nieces, nephews and their children from the Wells family. David was predeceased by his parents Stanley and Murial and his brothers-in-law and sisters-in- law Edwin, Joan and Wayne.
David was a renowned executive in the Canadian communications industry, joining Bell Canada right out of the University of Toronto in 1970. His early years with the company saw him fill a range of roles in Canada and internationally, including leadership of Bell’s work to implement Saudi Arabia’s national telecom network. A pioneer in wireless communications, David would join Bell Mobility’s predecessor company Bell Cellular in 1985, serving as Chief Financial Officer, Chief Information Officer and Executive VP Human Resources over the years, ultimately becoming President and CEO of Mobility Canada, the national coalition of wireless providers, in 1994. He was asked by George Cope in 1996 to join Clearnet Communications as one of its first executives, and David helped build the wireless startup into a national player that was acquired by TELUS in 2000 for more than $6 billion – still the largest transaction in Canadian telecom history. Returning to Bell after George Cope became CEO of the company in 2008, David took on the role of Executive VP Corporate Services for BCE and Bell. He played a leading role in the launch of the Bell Let’s Talk mental health initiative in 2010 and in the development of Bell’s leading workplace mental health program.
Bell’s current CEO Mirko Bibic writes: “David was a key player in building Canada’s modern communications industry over the course of a remarkable 42-year career, and he was instrumental in establishing the high-performance team culture that is a hallmark of today’s Bell. I had the privilege of working closely with David in his time with Bell, and benefitted greatly from his wisdom, years of executive experience and friendly good nature. Our team and our company are better for his having dedicated so much to us. David will be deeply missed.”
David retired from Bell in December 2012, giving him more time for golf. A student of the game, David happily spent endless hours perfecting his swing both at Miromar Lakes G&CC in Florida and The Weston Golf and Country Club, where he served on the Board for several years. He was excited to take on the role of President at Weston, a position to which he was elected in February 2020, but sadly was only able to occupy for such a short period of time.
He enjoyed nothing more than spending time with family and friends over a glass of wine, regularly hosting large family gatherings celebrating special occasions. He was blessed with a delightful sense of humour which was exceeded only by his generosity towards family and friends. David loved to spoil their beloved dog Barley who will dearly miss his master.
The family offers special thanks to Dr. Paul Freedman.
No public funeral service is planned due to COVID-19 restrictions. A celebration of life will be scheduled at a future time. In lieu of flowers the family invites donations in David’s memory to Diabetes Canada, the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation, or David’s mother’s legacy, The Lone Pine Land Trust.