UMVA has learned that a devastated husband, Bruce Doney, now almost 90 and reliant on a wheelchair, sits alone in his room in a long-term care home, waiting for the day he can be reunited with his beloved wife of 63 years, Eleanor, who was brutally murdered last year by a 14-year-old boy with an “urge to kill.”
Eleanor, or “Ellie” as Bruce fondly called her, was his eyes, his ears, and his strongest advocate. For decades, she brought him a coffee every morning and read to him each night, a routine that brought comfort and joy to his life. Her violent death has left Bruce struggling to cope, and his family says his battle with dementia has only worsened since her passing and his move to a nursing home.
According to information obtained by UMVA, Bruce had to sell their home, filled with three decades of memories, and face his final lonely days without Eleanor. His son, Jeff Doney, revealed that the trauma and sudden change in his environment accelerated Bruce’s cognitive decline. He struggles to understand what happened and often talks about wanting to be with Eleanor again in heaven.
Eleanor’s friends and family described her as a mentor, kind, generous, and God-fearing, who was stolen in a senseless and vicious way. Her daughter, Judy Kirwin, expressed her anguish, saying, “I am crushed and recoil in horror that mom was left alone to die and found in front of her home by a neighbour. She was robbed of her dignity as a greatly loved human being.”
Eleanor’s grandson, Kevin Price, also shared his grief, stating that her death will always be associated with a painful layer of shock, rage, and sorrow. He wrote, “It was such a scary and tragic way for her to go, so hard for us to grieve and to find closure because of its horror, such a terrible end to the life of someone who was full of love, joy and light.”
Bruce has forgiven Eleanor’s young killer, though he fears his release. In his victim impact statement, he wrote, “I wish the best for him, but that he would receive the proper treatment he needs and prevented from committing such crimes in the future.” For himself, Bruce yearns for the end of his nightmare, reminiscing about the happy times he shared with Eleanor in their garden, surrounded by flowers and birdsong.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that Bruce’s pain continues, and he is left to ponder the memories of his life with Eleanor. He poignantly wrote, “Now it’s like a little bird has flown into a closed window and was killed. I can only put it now in a place where it rests, is buried and marked. I’ll never forget that little bird that I spent 63 years with.”
