Léopold (Leo) Fontaine

Outre son épouse, il laisse dans le deuil ses enfants Lynn (Bruce Gallant), Paul (Linda Chalifoux), Robert (France Collet), Marc (Nadine Kiekeman) et Daniel (Léna Desjardins), ses petits-enfants Meggie, Jessica, Sonny, Stéphane, Dérik, Audrey, Steven, Jacob, Jeremy, Éloïse et Liam, ses arrière-petits-enfants Thomas, Loïc, Olivier, Zackael, Charlie et Mackenzie, sa sœur Lorraine Shantz, ses neveux et nièces, cousins et cousines ainsi que de nombreux parents et amis.

La famille recevra les condoléances le dimanche 17 mars 2019 de 11h30 à 15h30 à La Maison Darche, Réseau Dignité, située au 7679, boulevard Taschereau à Brossard (J4Y 1A2), suivi d’une cérémonie en la chapelle de la résidence.

Au lieu de fleurs, un don à la Société canadienne du cancer serait apprécié.

Léo Fontaine est né à McLennan en Alberta, demeurant sur la ferme familiale jusqu'à l’âge de 18 ans. Ensuite, il habita à Ottawa, puis Montréal. Toujours intéressé au dessin et aux arts visuels, il entreprit l'étude de la peinture impressionniste et surtout le style réaliste. Il débuta ses chefs d’œuvres au crayon de plomb, puis au pastel sec, suivi de la peinture à l'huile, sous la tutelle du grand maître Marcel Favreau de St-Hubert, Québec. Léo a produit plus de 350 tableaux de tous genres; portraits, paysages, natures mortes, nus, animaux, etc. tous dans le style réaliste des grands, tels que: Gustave Courbet, John Constable, Aurel Suzor-Côté, Robert Duncan, entre autres. Il disait que l'effort doit être constant afin que ce dernier tableau soit meilleur (plus beau) que le précédent.

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Leo was born in northern Alberta in 1936. He lived in a log cabin on a small farm. The only music they had was old time country music, kitchen party style, played mostly by Jimmy Rodgers, Ernest Tubb, Hank Snow, Eddy Arnold, and Wilf Carter, etc. He bought his first guitar for $2.00 when he was 12. He learned to play it by ear, learned many songs by listening to them over and over on a small battery-operated radio which had an antenna hooked to a clothesline outside. His uncle on his mother's side taught him to play the harmonica around the same time. It came to him quite easily and before long he could play almost anything including the fiddle. He even knew how to yodel. When he turned 18 he joined the RCMP and was transferred to Ottawa, Ontario. As early as 1955, Leo and Denise had gone to the Blue Angel in Montreal. Then they transferred to Ottawa for 18 years and came back to Montreal in 1975. Over the years, he would sing and play with friends from work. In 1987, he was introduced to regular weekly evenings of old-time country music with people from all over Canada and the US. He and Denise had been coming to Hillbilly Night for the last 25 years at the Wheel Club in Montreal.

Leo had a successful career in the RCMP and CSIS having completed 35 years of service. He retired in 1991 and enjoyed his passions with his family and friends. All those who knew him appreciated his humor, respect, friendship and that twinkle in his eye.