Leonard Shaw

He is survived by his common-law wife Barbara Quaddy and a son Jason Bast as well as siblings Alfred (“Friday”) Shaw and Margaret Dumond and several nieces and nephews and their families. Len was born in Nelson, BC to parents Alfred and Maud Shaw on 4 October 1939 but grew up in Vancouver. He joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1957 and served for 5 years, mostly in Quebec, training as an air frame technician where he discovered his talent and love for working with his hands. He also served as the RCAF representative of the honor guard welcoming such dignitaries as President Charles de Gaulle in April 1960.

Len had an extensive work history in various parts of BC from Port Alice, Mackenzie, Powell River, Nelson to the Lower Mainland and various other locations working at everything from boom man, on sawmill chains, in pulp mill steam plants, prison guard, driving instructor and in charge of maintenance and landscaping at two large rental townhouse complexes in Port Moody and Langley. He obtained his 4th Class Steam Engineer ticket in 1980 which subsequently enabled him to work for both the Vancouver and Penticton School Boards as an Engineer/Custodian.

In the fall of 1977, he met his future life partner Barb and in 1986 they purchased their first house together near Metrotown in Burnaby shortly after Sky Train opened in readiness for Expo 86. In late 1990 they both quit their jobs and sold their house in order to follow Len’s dream of owning and operating a campground, having settled on Crescent Beach Resort located at 12 Mile on Kootenay Lake near Nelson as being the one. Later on, they also owned and operated Chinook Campground located at 9 Mile before relocating to the Okanagan where Len found work with the Penticton School Board before retiring in 2002. Australia was next on their agenda, relocating to Port Macquarie, NSW for 3-1/2 years before returning to Kelowna in 2006.

Since then, Len and Barb pursued their love of camping, having owned an RV ever since they met. Earlier Len had enjoyed hobbies such as stained glass, taxidermy, ballroom dancing and kung fu and was a life-long legion member and auction junkie, but in later years Len mostly concentrated on renovating the two homes he and Barb have owned in Kelowna since their return to Canada.

A Celebration of Len’s life will be held at a later date.

Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.firstmemorialfuneralkelowna.com

Arrangements entrusted with First Memorial Funeral Services (Dignity Memorial) Kelowna, BC 250-762-2299