A Family Reconnected
A Story by Donald G. Mitchener, BA, FCPA, FCA

Early Childhood and Separation

In the 1950s, siblings Beverley, Sylvia, Wayne, and Don were placed in an orphanage. The four young children were separated and placed in different homes — a common practice of the time. Each carried their own quiet memories of those early years, even as they settled into new homes and routines.

At age nine, Don was adopted by a family who welcomed him into their lives. When his adoptive parents later divorced, his adoptive mother took on the responsibility of raising two sons on her own. Her steady presence, sense of duty, and commitment to doing what was right greatly influenced Don’s upbringing. These early lessons — responsibility, fairness, and caring for others — shaped the way he approached his education, his career, and his community life.

In recognition of her influence, the Imperial Theatre in Saint John later named its cloakroom in her honour.

Growing Up and Wondering About the Past

As Don grew older, he built a life filled with opportunities he worked hard to earn — education, career, friendships, and community involvement. Yet, like many adoptees, he occasionally found himself thinking back to the siblings he had been separated from as a child.

He wondered what their lives looked like.

Whether they also remembered.

Whether they too carried unfinished pieces of their shared beginning.

This curiosity was shared by all four siblings, each in their own way.

Reuniting After 29 Years

Don’s path to reconnection unfolded in stages. He first reunited with his sisters in 1964, creating the beginnings of renewed connection. The chance to reconnect fully came later.

By 1982, with updated processes and a few key steps taken through the proper channels, Don was able to reconnect with his brother as well, bringing all four siblings into contact again.

He reunited with his brother, Wayne, in 1982, completing the family circle after many years apart.

Don reunited with Beverley, Sylvia, and Wayne in 1982 after 29 years apart.

On March 20, 1982, nearly three decades after their separation, Don, Beverley, Sylvia, and Wayne sat together in the same room for the first time since childhood.

Newspaper accounts from that day describe the reunion with simple, honest details:

• nervous first phone calls

• long looks trying to recognize childhood faces in adult ones

• stories shared across a kitchen table

• spouses and children meeting for the first time

• sorting through memories of a time all four remembered differently

For Don, it wasn’t dramatic — it was grounding. Seeing his siblings again provided context he didn’t know he needed and a sense of completion he hadn’t expected.

“Our reunion affirmed what I always believed — connection survives, even across decades.”