We are devastated by the sudden death of Doug at his home in Pickering, Ontario on September 19, 2024. Doug was the beloved son of the late Edith Elash (nee Domshy) and the late John Elash, treasured younger brother to John Elash Jr. and Anita Elash, nephew to Sonia Werhun (nee Domshy), uncle to Holli Elash and her husband Sam Tisi, great uncle to Elliot Elash Tisi and Aubrey Elash Tisi and a devoted companion and “magic man” to his partner, Shannon Eckstein.

Doug is universally remembered as a kind and gentle soul with a giant-sized heart. He was always ready to lighten the load for others, sometimes with his words, sometimes with his gestures and often with the wry sense of humour that always lurked beneath his easy-going demeanour. Doug understood that he would only have one shot at life and that it was his to live as he wanted. His great passion was music. He had an innate talent and he offered his gift to the world as a rock musician who played bass guitar with such flair that the audience always wanted to hear more. He had a dream as a child and he realized that dream with singular determination.

Doug was born in Yorkton, Saskatchewan on October 24, 1965, to an unconventionally creative farm family of Ukrainian heritage. He spent his early years on the farm near Goodeve, Saskatchewan, then moved with the family and their house to an acreage on the outskirts of Yorkton. Edith was an artist in the kitchen and a talented seamstress with a flair for fashion. John was a reluctant farmer and a master welder who designed farm machinery and, later in life, elaborate brass stair railings in public buildings. True to the family’s roots, dancing the polka was a big part of life and there was often music in the house. As a pre-teen, Doug brought things to a whole new level when he and his friends formed a KISS tribute band and staged concerts in the family garage at 25 cents a ticket. Doug played air bass and took on the role of Gene Simmons.

At the end of 11th Grade, Doug and Edith moved to Toronto to look for new opportunities. For Doug, that opportunity came during shop class at Scarlett Heights Collegiate, when the student shop foreman discovered that the shy new kid in class was building a fuzz pedal for his bass guitar. He invited Doug to join his new band, Endo. Of course Doug agreed, and took a job at a gas station so he could buy a new Rickenbacher bass guitar just like the one his hero, Geddy Lee, played. Determined to leave Endo’s high school audiences begging for more, Doug led a project to build a glittering stage set from plywood and aluminum foil and concocted pyrotechnics by packing gun powder into empty tin cans.

Endo eventually folded, but it helped launch Doug on a long and rewarding career playing bass guitar. He formed several rock bands of his own, including the groups Dizzy Bites, Fall From Grace and Super Glue, and played with countless others, touring around Ontario, across Canada, and into the United States and Australia. In 2009, he joined the Tim Hicks band, one of Canada’s best-loved country rock groups. Doug was known for his energetic stage presence. He loved fancy leather boots and was always the best-dressed guy in the band. Off-stage, he was the guy with the biggest heart in the business. Doug was nominated twice for the Canadian Country Music Association’s Bass Player of the Year award. On weekdays, he worked his way up to a position as director of account services at the music store Long and McQuade.

To his family, Doug was always considered the sweet young one — the baby who came along unexpectedly and then spent nearly 59 years lighting up our lives. He hated mushrooms and green peppers, but loved onions, Cheez Whiz, turkey necks and perogies and spent many hours around the table with his family, swapping jokes and debating the issues of the day. Doug and Anita visited the Toronto Ex every year, in search of giggles, corn dogs and CNE burgers with specially fried onions. Doug and John built their dates around sporting events and cheese and raw onion sandwiches. When he met Shannon in 2018, he found the love he always wished for. Together, they enjoyed music, movies, raiding garden stores and concocting elaborate meals at home. Doug also loved fishing, curling and looking after the dog.

In accordance with his wishes, Cremation has taken place. For those who wish to make a gesture in Doug’s memory, the family requests donations to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Canada.

Friends may call at the Turner & Porter “Peel” Chapel, 2180 Hurontario St., Mississauga (HWY 10 N. of QEW), on Saturday, November 16, 2024 from 4 -7 p.m. Remembrances will take place at 4:30pm. Refreshments in Memory of Doug will be available before & after the service.

Anyone who wishes to participate virtually a livestream link will be made available on this webpage.