Leonard was born on November 27, 1921 on the family homestead in Markinch, Saskatchewan. He was the third child of eight who were born to Karl and Margaret. Growing up on the prairie frontier was challenging and got more difficult when his father died when he was ten years old. Grandma was 32 years old and a widow with eight children.
He had to work as a janitor to pay for his high school tuition. After graduation and at age 19, he enlisted in the RCAF. Five years of his life were spent in WW II. During that time he saw all the sights, sounds and smells of war in many of the big offenses: Battle in Normandy, Vimy Ridge hill number 7, Market Garden (aka the ‘Bulge’).
There were the British bombers every night, and retreats to cities and towns like Brussels, Antwerp, Eindhoven, Uden, and Deft.
On returning from the war, his mother and family had moved to Vancouver. She had also married Frank Steli.
His daughter, Elsie, became a welcome part of the family. Soon after, Robert (Bobby) was born.
Repatriation was not easy as Len was one of the first to go overseas and one of the last to come home. He worked as a seaman on the Union steamships going up and down the coast of BC, on Granville Island at West Steel and on the Fraser River for Western Plywood. During this time he met Edna at Martin Luther Church and were married in June 1947.
Len, together with Edna, were partners in many business adventures; a hotel in Houston BC, a chicken farm in Richmond, and a motel in Lytton.
Len liked camping, road-trips, building things and doing wood carvings. As an historian, Len often mused at what has transpired in his 96 years.
He had seen the horse and buggy days with rut roads across the prairies and one-room school houses… to the industrialization of machines to do manual work… to further technology that would see a man fly a plane and a shuttle go to the moon… and even now we are in an era of ever evolving technology and computer applications.
Sadly, Leonard was pre-deceased by his wife of 67 years, Edna Elizabeth in March 2015.
Len and Edna raised three children: Dolores (Frank), Bruce (Elaine) and Dean (Tania), who in turn
raised eight grandsons: Peter (Karen), Andrew (Brittni), Mark (Ashleigh), Bryce (Samantha), Grant (Lindsey), Trent (Carol), Paul (Jennifer) and Bryan.
And, now there are five great grandchildren: Elias, Wesley, Warren, Zoe and Easton.
Leonard will be missed by all.
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