Herbert "Jack" John Leedham

July 3, 1955 - March 29, 2025

Jack passed away unexpectedly and suddenly from a heart attack. He did not suffer at all.

Jack is survived by his sister Laurie, his half-sister Fern, numerous nieces and nephews, and “fur babies" Saffron and Rufus. He was predeceased by his beloved partner and soulmate Cindy (2019), his mother Vivian (1991), father Herbert (2010), and his half-brother Fred (2012).

Jack was born in Victoria, BC and lived there his entire life. He attended Bank Street Elementary School, Margaret Jenkins Elementary School, and Oak Bay Secondary School, graduating with the Class of 1973.

Jack was a paperboy for the Victoria Colonist newspaper, so he delivered the papers in the early morning. Later in high school, Jack worked in a cycling shop assembling new bikes, doing tune ups and bicycle repairs.

Jack began his career with the BC Provincial Government not long after his graduation. He ended up working for the BC Public Service for over 40 years, and was very proud of his career accomplishments. He was well-respected by his peers, and he forged many lifelong friendships with his work colleagues over the years.

Jack was a very active person, and he loved to enjoy life to the fullest. In addition to the many ski vacations to Whister/Blackcomb and Mount Washington, plus at least a few to Lake Tahoe, he also enjoyed road trips from Victoria to San Diego and back, and many other trips throughout BC and beyond by car or motorcycle.

Jack was an exceptional athlete and participating in sports was a big part of his life. The good friends he made during his leisure time were enduring and enriched his life beyond description.

As a youth, Jack was a very competitive tennis player. As time passed, Jack got seriously involved in cycling and was a member of the Victoria Wheelers Bicycle Club. He cycled competitively for many years and even participated in the BC Summer Games. Just a few days before he passed away, Jack attended a dinner with his cycling buddies from years gone by, and a great time was had by all.

In high school, Jack played organized football with the Oak Bay Invaders. Over the many years that followed, Jack played racquetball, squash, softball (where he met Cindy and changed his life), floor hockey, golf, skied, bowled, and did just about every leisure activity imaginable. In particular, Jack played hundreds of rounds of golf on Vancouver Island and throughout BC.

Jack played floor hockey for many years. At first, he organized his own co-ed league which likely was the first of its kind in Greater Victoria. It lasted from 1973 - 1976. After that, he joined two other recreational floor hockey leagues, and for many years he played in both leagues at the same time. His career spanned over thirty years in total. He played in the (now defunct) Victoria Floor Hockey League for over fifteen seasons, and the Pucks Unlimited League, which is still going strong to this day. He was even the administrator for the Victoria Floor Hockey League for a few years.

Jack had an uncle and aunt who lived in Hawaii. Back in 1979, they invited Jack to house-sit their home for six weeks while they were vacationing in Europe. Typical of his generous nature, Jack invited four of his good friends to accompany him to Hawaii. They all had a great time.

Jack was a genuinely nice man. Once you were his friend, you knew you'd be a friend of his forever. He always greeted everyone with a big smile. He had a tremendous sense of humour and loved to laugh. He was an accomplished chef, and he (and Cindy) loved hosting dinners where they would share great food, conversation, and special drinks. In fact, Jack ended up being a bit of a whisky connoisseur and also loved to try a variety of locally brewed beers.

Perhaps Jack's most endearing quality was his willingness to help others. He was quick to offer help, or if he heard someone needed assistance, he'd be the first one to volunteer. He was a multi-talented handyman, so he had a lot of skills he could use to help anyone with anything at any time. To quote Len Wein,

“A true friend is one who is there for you when he’d rather be anywhere else.”

Jack was indeed a true friend.

Most importantly, Jack loved his soulmate Cindy. They enjoyed a very successful partnership and were perfect for each other. They also loved animals and were always surrounded by the various rescued cats they adopted. They were also keen supporters of local animal rescue agencies. If you wish to do something in memoriam, please consider a donation to BC WildARC, the BC SPCA or the animal rescue society of your choice.

Jack had a very storied life filled with love, terrific friendships, tons of activities, and fun. There was nobody that didn't like and respect him. He will be missed, but his legacy will live on forever.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, May 24, 2025 starting at 2PM at First Memorial Funeral Services - Victoria, located at 4725 Falaise Drive, Victoria BC. The service will include a live webcast and recording, accessible through this obituary page.