Leona Lane

She was predeceased by her parents Markus and Emerentia Bornowsky, her eleven siblings and their spouses, her beloved husband Cyril, their daughters, Kathryn and Kelly, daughters-in-law, Carole and Barbara and grandson Daniel.

Leona's love lives on through her children and their families: Kurt Lane (Judith); Kim (Blair) Nixon; Mark (Christian) Lane; David (Cecilia) Lane; Don Wilkinson; Laura Lane (Mark); Christopher (Roshean) Lane: and Gregory (Carolyn) Steele Lane. She will also be greatly missed by her 21 grandchildren, 21 great grandchildren and her great great granddaughter.

Leona was born in Wilkie, Saskatchewan, the youngest of 12 children and moved with her family to Cranbrook, BC when she was 13 years old. After high school she took her teacher training in Victoria, BC and soon moved north to Destruction Bay, Yukon where she was the teacher in a one room school house. There she met her future husband, Cyril, who had immigrated from Bristol, England. They married on July 3, 1954 in Cranbrook BC. Soon after starting their family of nine children they moved from Destruction Bay to Whitehorse, Yukon in 1963.

Along with taking care of their children, Leona worked at different times as a part-time high school music teacher, professional bus driver and a CBC columnist and radio broadcaster of Consumer Affairs. She offered her skills to the community by serving on the Whitehorse Housing Authority Board for low income families, the National Alliance for Life Society Board and the National Board of the Consumer’s Association of Canada (CAC). She co-founded the Yukon Branch of the CAC and the Yukon Pro-life Society.

Leona was gifted with a most beautiful singing voice and began her singing career early at age 4. She joined the Whitehorse Choral Society and soloed regularly, formed music trios and quartets, taught singing and studied advanced vocal training. She and Loverna Armstrong, her accompanist, performed at the Yukon Pavillion at Expo 1986 and produced a professional recording, “Songs My Mother Taught Me”. Their music concerts were also recorded and featured on CBC West and CBC International Broadcasts.

When Leona and Cyril retired they volunteered for a four year C.P.P.S. mission project in Manyoni, Tanzania, Africa. Together they upgraded and expanded the trade school and as many can attest, fell in love with Africa.

Following this, she and Cyril lived in Vernon and then Victoria BC. Cyril and Leona were world travellers, and in their 80’s, returned with their children, to show them their beloved Africa. Leona continued to enjoy travel into her 90’s, recently visiting Israel.

Leona began creative writing and with Cyril’s input wrote two books: “In a Sun-scorched Land - An African Experience. Compiled from Letters Home” and “Down Memory Lanes”.

She and Cyril moved to Calgary, Alberta in 2020. There, at age 90, Leona turned her artistic talents to a new endeavor: acrylic painting.

Throughout her life Leona blessed our world with her beautiful gift of music. She personified her value of bringing one’s gifts forward in life saying, “When I use my gift to sing I feel I am giving back to God.” She epitomized her values of fairness, and speaking for those who could not. Even in her final years, seeing a need for the residents where she lived to have a voice, she started a Resident Council. You won’t be surprised to know that she became the President.

Leona, Mom, grandma and great (great) grandma will be greatly missed. May she rest in peace.

A Memorial Service will be held on October 14th, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church, 541 Silvergrove Dr NW, Calgary, AB T3B 4R9