Obituary of Dana Allison Stephen

Dana Allison Stephen, 62, passed away peacefully, surrounded by family at the QE2 hospital in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on January 21, 2024.  Born to Bruce and Judith (Sawler) Stephen of Windsor Junction, on January 2, 1962. He was the oldest of three boys.  He is survived by his four children, Tyler (Nicole Stone), twins Natalie and Nichole, and Raymond, beautiful grandchildren Jayden, Jayceon, Autumn, Arayah, and Macey. His loving memory will also be cherished by his father, Bruce, his two brothers, Scott and Mark, and his girlfriend, Rita Moore. He is predeceased by his mother, Judith Diane Stephen (Sawler), and his grandparents, Raymond and Ruth (Isenor) Sawler.  Dana met his wife Alicia Hardman in Windsor Junction, where they grew up together just down the road from one another. They frequented the Community Centre quite often where they spent many fond memories swimming and hanging out with friends. During this time, Dana also worked at LeGay’s Fiberglass, which was the beginning of his career into the construction industry. Dana and Alicia were married April 3, 1982, and shared a life together until they separated in 2006 and Alicia moved to Alberta with their youngest child, Raymond.  During his working career, he spent the majority of his time working in construction. He became a very knowledgeable and exceptional Carpenter, and passed on a lot of his skills and knowledge to his daughter, Nichole, who he supported through her journey into also becoming a Carpenter. His passion for carpentry, love of nature, gardening, problem solving, fixing things on the fly, and passion for cooking, is passed on through all of his children.  When Dana wasn’t working, he enjoyed spending time in nature while hunting and fishing. Not only for a source of enjoyment, but to also help provide for his family. With the help of his wife, Alicia, he built a camp on the mountains in Londonderry, Nova Scotia, so he could enjoy his time hunting and fishing with friends and family. He also enjoyed making his own flies for fly fishing, was an avid gardener, and always enjoyed sharing his produce and homemade flies with his loved ones.  Dana loved his children, and despite his own challenges, he supported them to the best of his abilities. His children meant a lot to him, and it was important to him to help them with their school work, and science fair projects for school fairs, which made him very proud.  Despite spending much of his final years in and out of the hospital, he continued to maintain his vibrant sense of humour and personality, which will be greatly missed by all who knew him well.  Dana’s family will be hosting a Ceremony of Life in his honor on Saturday, February 3, 2024, from 2:30-4:00pm. The ceremony will be held at Acadia Hall in Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Canadian Digestive Health Foundation, or The Canadian Mental Health Association in honor of Dana Stephen.  https://cdhf.ca/en/digestive-conditions/pancreatitis/https://novascotia.cmha.ca/donate-to-cmha-ns-and-give-the-gift-of-hope/