David Wayne MacLean

It is with broken hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved David Wayne MacLean who left us peacefully on Monday, August 31, 2026 after a hard fought battle with ALS. He will be forever missed by his wife (Betty Mae), son (Benjamin), daughter (Erin), son-in-law (Adrian), and granddaughter (Lexi), as well as numerous extended family and close friends.

David had a very rich childhood, filled with many adventures with his sister and three brothers while growing up on a farm in Alder Flats, Alberta. Here he learned lessons about life and community from his parents, Connie and Allen MacLean, and made many special, lifelong friendships.

In 1977, he followed in his dads footsteps and moved to Saskatchewan to work in the oil and gas industry. He later returned to Alberta where he pursued his career and became a journeyman in the electrical and instrumentation trades. Over the years he enjoyed the opportunity to mentor many young apprentices and found a lot of fulfillment and pride in watching them succeed. David formed many lasting friendships throughout his career and was not only a valued coworker, but also a trusted confidant to many.

In 1984, he met Betty Mae, his soulmate, and within 5 months they were married and starting on their 42 years of adventures and travels together. They had two children, Benjamin and Erin, and a granddaughter Lexi, all bringing great joy and pride to their lives. They continued making memories with their children, many of which included holidays and adventures with close friends and family.

Starting at a young age, David had a passion for vehicles and restored countless projects with friends over the years. He had the most appreciation for Volkswagens and Corvettes, and was well known for his passionate distaste of Fords. He cherished the conversations he shared with his fellow car enthusiasts and appreciated hearing and sharing his thoughts on their projects when he could no longer work on his own.

David also had a love for music, with a large record and cd collection that was accumulated over his lifetime. Music was always on in the house and when he was diagnosed with ALS in March of 2023, digitizing his vast collection was a passion project that became his therapy while his life was changing.

David’s ALS diagnosis was endured with a level of dignity and grace that reflected his strong spirit and positive outlook on life. He used his innate troubleshooting skills and was always coming up with ways to pivot and adapt to his changing situation. After his diagnosis, his many strong friendships were displayed in the outpouring of support, visits, phone calls, and continued laughter from family and friends, many of whom travelled long distances to see him. His kind and generous personality allowed him to connect easily with others and build meaningful, lasting relationships. If love alone could have kept David alive, he would have lived forever.

In addition to these personal visits, the support his family felt at the ALS walks in Drayton Valley was heartwarming, as was the support from the ALS society in its entirety. David's family would like to extend their appreciation to the ALS Society of Alberta, ALS Clinic South Health Campus, Cochrane Homecare, and their private caregivers for making a vital difference in their lives during his illness.

There will be no memorial service as the family feels the meaningful one-on-one visits over the last few years were what really mattered to David. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to the ALS Society of Alberta. https://www.alsab.ca/