Introduction

Every spring, the loons return to Ontario’s Buck Lake, their clear, haunting calls echoing over the water.

For Reine Samson Dawe, it is more than a sign of the changing seasons—it is a sign that her son, Captain Matthew Dawe, is still with her, in spirit, memory and love.

The Dawe family heard their first loon of the season on Easter Sunday as they stood on the deck toasting Matthew, who was killed during his deployment to Afghanistan on 4 July 2007.

The lake house where they have lived for nearly two decades, was Matthew’s find. He insisted his parents retire there, charmed by its sparkling water and quiet beauty.

“Mom that lake is absolutely gorgeous,” Samson Dawe remembers him saying. Years later, it remains a sacred place, a piece of Matthew’s vision made real.

A family history of service

Matthew was the youngest of four brothers, all raised in a military family where service, sacrifice and loyalty were daily lessons. His father, Lieutenant-Colonel (Retired) Peter Dawe, served 33 years in the Canadian Armed Forces. Reine, a physiotherapist, met Peter during her internship at the military hospital in Halifax. Their sons grew up in a life of postings, new towns and the steadfast bonds of military families.

It came as no surprise when all four boys followed in their father’s footsteps; three of them—Peter, Philip and Matthew—served in Afghanistan.

A born leader

Matthew stood out not only for his sharp mind and leadership but for the sheer joy he brought to life. Mischievous, adventurous, funny—he was the kind of person people naturally gathered around. At the Royal Military College of Canada, he graduated with first-class honours in civil engineering, captained the varsity volleyball team and served as Cadet Wing Commander, leading with humor and heart.

On graduation weekend, he married his sweetheart, Tara. A year later, their son Lucas was born, and Matthew, already a devoted leader, became an even more devoted father.

In 2007, he deployed to Afghanistan as the Commander of 8 Platoon, C Company, 3^rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. It was a dangerous time, and for Samson Dawe, the familiar worry of a military mother had returned. Years earlier, in 2002, she remembered sleeping with the phone by her pillow, waiting for a call after an American F16 dropped a laser guided bomb near Kandahar killing four Canadians soldiers and injuring eight others. Two of her sons were in the vicinity but were not injured. She recalls the overwhelming relief and the tears when she heard her oldest son’s voice: “Mom, we’re OK.”

Mother's Day call

This time, it was Matthew she waited for.

On Mother’s Day—13 May 2007—he managed a phone call. Satellite connections were rare, with long lines of soldiers hoping for a few moments with home. “Are you sleeping OK? Can’t wait to see you home very soon. Love you,” she said.

It was the last time they spoke.

On 4 July 2007, while leading “Operation Luger,” Matthew’s vehicle struck a massive improvised explosive device. He and five fellow soldiers and an Afghan interpreter, were killed instantly. Matthew was 27 years old. His son Lucas turned two the same day.

The grief was shattering. For two years, she couldn’t bring herself to cook Matthew’s favourite lasagna. Hearing music he loved—whether the Rolling Stones or “Phantom of the Opera”—caused waves of grief. Every flash of memory—Matthew hopping on one foot with a torn Achilles to change Lucas’s diaper, or making everyone laugh by reciting lines from his favourite movie, “The Princess Bride”—became both a heartbreak and a gift.

“I don’t want to forget,” she says.

Keeping Matt's memory alive

Matt’s son Lucas, now almost 20, grew up surrounded by stories of his father. At family gatherings, they toast Matthew with champagne and laugh at the good memories, honour his devotion to hockey and theatre and find him in small, everyday moments.

His uncle James, who was closest to Matthew in age, has always been and continues to be very close to Lucas with frequent outings, shared vacations and visits.

Reine Samson Dawe traveled to Afghanistan after Matthew’s death—walking the same dusty roads her son walked, feeling closer to him in the place where he lost his life.

She has found a new mission through the Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan organization, supporting education for girls and planting seeds of hope in the country where her son died.

In 2019, Samson Dawe was named as Canada’s Silver Cross Mother—a role she carries with humility and strength—and she shows other grieving families that even the greatest sorrow can eventually carry the glimmer of gratitude.

“Life will still bring you beautiful things, ” she says quietly. “And it’s your duty—to your loved one, to yourself—to hold onto that.”

With courage, integrity and loyalty, Reine Samson Dawe is leaving her mark. Discover more stories.