Deacon Douglas Andrew Halvorsen

August 27, 1942 – December 17, 2020

Personal Memoire from Fr Aidan | Funeral Homily from Fr John | Eulogy from His Daughter Nianne

Personal Memoire from Fr Aidan

When I arrived at St Louis de Montfort in October 2015, the first deacon I met was Deacon Doug. He was from the start a man who seemed always affable, pleased to see you, deeply faithful and with a big grin and a mischievous spirit. He also had a touch the Bohemian about him. I remember seeing the tattoos on his legs one hot summer’s day when he popped into the rectory in shorts and T-shirt! He was very easy to like, and would be very supportive and affirming of me as pastor, which, being the new boy on the block and a stranger in a foreign land was something I needed. Anyone who knew him as deacon were sure that they had met a good Catholic man, devoted to his faith in Jesus and to His Blessed Mother.

I learnt how he had been an aspiring art teacher and the golden voice of Righetti High School sport’s commentating. He had a gentle mellifluous voice which unfortunately thinned as his last illness took hold. It was a joy for me as Pastor to present him with a papal blessing at his silver jubilee celebration at the parish picnic a few of years ago.  A picture of the presentation is included here, beside him is his dearest treasure, Natalie. There’s was a love match and they were such a complementary pair living in the same house all their married life until his death. Indeed one cannot think of Doug without thinking of Natalie.

Many parishioners whose children were baptized by Doug or who were married by him have wonderful memories of the sacraments and of the meticulous care he had taken for the occasion. Natalie presented me with his liturgical books. Some have been taken up by some of his brother deacons, but his most thumbed copies, filled with notes, memories, photos, cards, dates of baptisms, marriages and other ceremonies, I have placed in the parish archive as a testament to his role as one of our first permanent deacons here at St Louis de Montfort.

I was honored to be able to administer the rites of the church before he died as he wished, in his home with Natalie. I was honored to be called, “my friend”, by him.

God bless you Doug, good and faithful servant, take up the rest you truly deserve amongst the communion of saints, the choir of angels, in the bosom of Abraham. May perpetual light shine upon you.  Amen

Fr Aidan-Peter Rossiter CJ, Pastor

Funeral Homily from Fr John

Eulogy from His Daughter Nianne