Shirley Douglas, the daughter of former premier Tommy and Irma Douglas, died on Sunday at the age of 86 years, according to an announcement by her son, actor Kiefer Sutherland, on twitter. (Shirley is shown in a photo from the CBC with her son Kiefer Sutherland)
In his tweet, he said, “Early this morning, my mother Shirley Douglas passed away due to complications surrounding pneumonia (not related to COVID-19).
“My mother was an extraordinary woman who led an extraordinary life,” he said, noting she had been suffering from ill health in recent years.
“Sadly she had been battling for her health for quite some time, and we, as a family, knew this day was coming,” he said.
When a statue was unveiled for her father in Weyburn in 2010, she wanted to come but was unable to attend due to her health, and her son Kiefer Sutherland attended on behalf of the family.
Shirley Douglas was born April 2, 1934, in Weyburn, and grew up in Weyburn until her father was elected premier of Saskatchewan in 1944. The family moved to Regina, and she attended high school at Central Collegiate Institute in Regina.
She was the mother of three children: Thomas Sicks from her marriage to Canadian prairie brewery heir Timothy Sicks,and twins Rachel and Kiefer Sutherlandfrom her second marriage to Canadian actor Donald Sutherlandfrom 1966–70.
She showed an early interest in the arts as well as politics as she journeyed on the campaign trail with her father, who became premier of Saskatchewan, a federal NDP leader and a socialist icon.
She attended the Banff School of Fine Arts and went on to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England, where she acted in theatre and TV and participated in anti-nuclear marches.
Douglas lived in Toronto since 1977, and over the years appeared in many productions on TV, in movies and on the stage, including with her son Kiefer.
She received numerous awards throughout her life, including the Order of Canada in 2003, being installed on the Wall of Fame at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, and the Distinguished Canadian Award, which had also been awarded to her father. She received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.
