J. Leonard Praught

• Len Chemical Engineering grad NSTC 1962.

• Married 1963 May 11 St David’s Upper Rawdon by Rev R.H. Coote to

o Nora Mae Fenton 1939 Mar 17 Upper Rawdon NS,

o Nursing Grad. VG 1962, d/o Guy Fenton, Farmer/Lulu Casey,

Three children:

1. Timothy Leonard 1964 May 19 Sarnia ON -, Md 1995 Gander Bay to Viola Hart 1968 Gander Bay NFLD -. Tim grad of Univ Calgary, lives/works Ft McMurray AB.

2. Lesley Charlene 1965 Oct 24 Sarnia ON - Md 2002 Halifax NS Dana Deamel 1962. Both work Manulife, Halifax, live Lower Sackville.

3. Carla Mae 1972 Feb 18 Red Deer AB -, Grad Dalhousie. Single. Lives Lawrencetown, NS, breeds Papillon dogs.

Six grandchildren & two step-grandchildren:

Lesley's:

1. Joshua Flemming 1990 Sept 17 Calgary -, lives Halifax, works at Spirit Spa;

2. Jennifer 1994 Jan 24 Calgary -, lives L. Sackville, works Atlantic Superstore;

3. Elisha Deamel-Tingley 1982 Aug 5 Halifax, works A.A. Munro Insurance;

4. Chris Deamel 1985 Sep 27 Halifax, works Water & Soil Testing Facility.

Tim’s:

1. Abigail 1996 Aug 17 – lives Edmonton AB, works for Federal Government;

2. Samuel 1998 March 24 – Lives at home Fort McMurray, Student University of Athabasca;

3. Emily 2000 July 13 – lives Edmonton AB, Works as Dog Groomer;

4. Daniel 2002 Sept 9 – lives Edmonton AB. all born Ft McMurray AB.

15 Siblings, surname PRAUGHT:

1. Eugene Callaghan 1936 – (d. 2022) Md (1957) Clara Lecky, 5 children;

2. Jim 1941 – single, Retired Teacher, No Children, lives in Summerside PEI;

3. Gordon 1942 – (d. 2015) – One child Sylvia (1967);

4. Mary Constance (Connie) - 1943 – (d. 2021) Dietician, Three Children Neil (1962), Leonard (1964), Gladys (1966);

5. Madonna (Donna) 1947 – Retired Teacher, Md (1969) Daniel Levesque, 4 children, Sebastian (1971), Camille (1972), Matthew (1979), Julie (1983), live in Tatamagouche, NS;

6. Eleanor 1948 – Retired Canadian Armed Forces, One child Chris Shwaluk (1972), Md (1980) Doug Shwaluk, live in Tillsonburg ON;

7. Marcella 1949 – Retired Home Care PSW, Two children Shelly (1968), Jodie (1970) (d. 2001), lives in Curries ON;

8. Virginia 1950 – Retired Canadian Armed Forces, Md (1988) Fred Dainard, no children, live in Grand River PEI ;

9. Pauline 1951 – Retired Canada Revenue Agency, Two children Jonathon (1979), Veronica (1981), lives in Summerside PEI;

10. Anne 1952 – Retired from Holland College, Three children Carrie (1971), Stephen (1972), Gordon Gallant (1983), lives in Charlottetown, PEI;

11. Ivan 1954 – Retired Maintenance operator, Two Children Tanya (1974), Alicia (1977), Common law with Debbie Jelly;

12. Dennis 1956 – Retired Manager of liquor store, No children;

13. Dorothy 1957 – Retired from Revenue Canada Agency, 1 Child Kelly (1976), lives in Kensington, PEI;

14. Stacy 1959 – Retired Optometrist Technician, Md (1980) Ed Blagden, One Child Thalia (1983), live in Halifax NS;

15. Patrick 1960 (d. 1960)

Life Story:

Len Praught was born 1940 January 10 in Alberton PEI, oldest of fourteen children. Len grew up on the family farm in Grand River PEI and attend high school in Miscouche PEI. After completing high school, he entered Engineering studies at St. Dunstan’s University in Charlottetown PEI. He completed 3 years there and then finished his degree with 2 years at Nova Scotia Technical College in Halifax NS (1962).

While in Halifax in 1961, Len met the love of his life (Nora Fenton). They met on a blind date set up by Len’s classmate John “Teeder” Kennedy and Nora’s nursing classmate Rita Hicks.

Len’s first job after graduation was as a process engineer in Sarnia ON. Nora and some classmates had accepted nursing roles near San Francisco CA, and on their way there, Nora stopped to visit Len in Sarnia where he proposed and gave her an engagement ring. Around Christmas 1962, Len visited Nora in San Francisco bringing along a frozen turkey that he had won at bowling. But he had not brought along any US money as he didn’t realize Canadian money would not work there, and Nora and her roommates had to pay his taxi from the airport.

May 11 1963 Len married Nora in Upper Rawdon NS at St David Anglican Church. After the wedding they settled in Sarnia ON, Nora nursed at St Joseph’s Hospital between having 2 children - Timothy in 1964 and Lesley in 1965. Finally, in 1966 they loaded their few belongings in a small trailer and headed off to Sydney NS, where Len worked on the start-up of the new heavy water plant in Glace Bay.

In 1968, Len had had enough of the heavy water business, having developed an ulcer, and they moved to St. Bruno PQ, where Len worked on start-up and operation of an ethylene facility in Varennes. They bought their first house in St Bruno.

In 1971, they were transferred to a natural gas plant in Rimbey AB. There they had their 3rd child Carla in 1972. Surprise – Nora thought she had the flu. Len broke an ankle playing hockey, ending up in the Rimbey hospital, where Nora was on duty. In 1973, Len was transferred back to the Varennes PQ facilities, and they once more took up residence in St Bruno. Three children kept Len & Nora quite busy.

Finally, after requesting a posting overseas, Len got one to Ahwaz Iran in Jan 1977. Initially they stayed in the Ahwaz hotel but soon moved into new company housing. Of course, Iran was a totally different living experience. Their house had nice marble floors, but a lot of cement dabs all over which had to be painstakingly cleaned off with steel wool. The weather was hot – 50~C every day for 6-7 summer months. Not a cloud in the sky during that period. The company car had AC, but couldn’t run it, as would overheat. There was a water tank on top of the flat roof, as water was often shut off. But didn’t need to heat the water for a shower, as already plenty hot from the roof. Groceries were available from a small store, and there was a quite acceptable vegetable-fruit market. Also a nice swimming pool, which we went to almost daily, and a desert golf course. Our Iranian Safety Manager didn’t think women should drive, but Nora did anyway. When winter came there was some rain but poor drainage meant flooding of the streets. Aside from seeing local culture up close with people riding around on donkeys and some living in caves, there were some ancient sites nearby that we visited – Haft Tappeh (seven hills), a royal area from pre 2000 BC; Masjid-i-Sulemein, home of early Zorastrian religion; Susa, the winter home of Cyrus/Darius, kings of Iran, where Daniel, friend of Esther, spent time. We were surprised at latter as weren’t allowed in – since we were infidels, even though Daniel is in our bible too. We also traveled further afield to the summer home of Cyrus etc. in Persepolis and Shiraz, and to Teheran where the Shah had his palace. In meantime, Nora did some volunteer nursing at the Ahwaz hospital when expats were patients. But the political scene began to change as people tried to get rid of the Shah and his government. Unrest spread though out the country, riots occurred, and many facilities were burned, and finally some company personnel were shot down. Nora and the children were evacuated Xmas eve 1977 to Bahrain, then to London England and finally back to Upper Rawdon. Len was asked to stay on in Ahwaz but on New Year’s Eve, the company decided to move all remaining expats to Athens Greece. After a month there, Len headed back to Upper Rawdon, where they rented the upper level of the Barkhouse/Blois country store while awaiting developments in Iran. During this hiatus, Len took up searching the family trees in NS and PEI, which became his major hobby for the rest of his life.

The situation in Iran did not improve, so Len was transferred June 1979 to Calgary AB head office of Alberta Gulf oil/gas operations, buying a house in Oakridge southwest section of Calgary. In 1982-1983 Len took on a 15 month assignment in Montreal where modules were being built for oil/gas exploration of the Beaufort Sea up north. Nora remained in Calgary with the children in school, and was now pursuing her curling more vigorously. While living in Calgary there were many trips to the Rockies and to BC skiing and sightseeing.

Finally in late 1984, with no sign of further overseas assignments, Len left Gulf Canada after 16 years, and joined Roy M. Huffington Company, out of Houston TX, in Bontang, E. Kalimantan, Indonesia, where they resided for next 7 years. No hockey there but plenty of water activities (sailing, fishing, coral reefs, sight-seeing up jungle rivers), softball, golf and jungle hiking, including a trip to Sulawesi. Oldest children were now in university of Calgary, but came over at Xmas and in summer to visit. We took vacations all around Indonesia (Bali, Borobudor/Mt Merapi/Prambanan, Surabaya/Mt Bromo, Medan/Sumatra, Jakarta; Australia (Perth, Darwin, Sydney, Brisbane); New Zealand (north and south Island), and SE Asia (Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong). While in Indonesia, Len’s 1st grandchild Joshua was born 1990 in Calgary to daughter Lesley.

In Jan 1992, we were back in Halifax NS, with our youngest Carla now in university at Dal. For next many years Len took short term single status assignments in Calgary, Houston (Nora joined Len on a trip to Guadalajara Mexico), Indonesia, and 6 months in Paris where Nora also came to visit and tour. 5 more grandchildren came along from 1994-2002 (Lesley’s Jennifer and Tim’s Abigail, Samuel, Emily, Daniel).

In May 2003 Len, along with Nora, took a longer job in Egypt on a new LNG plant being built by British Gas. They spent 1st year in Cairo and next 1 1/2y in Alexandria. While in Egypt played golf, toured the pyramids, Cairo Museum and City of the Dead, several desert oases and holy centers, took Nile River cruise to Aswan and the Valley of the Kings, a wild game safari to Kenya, trip to Mt Sinai where Moses got the Ten Commandments, a week in Cyprus and another to Crete.

In Nov 2005, finally retiring, we settled back in NS in Waverley on 2 acres of wooded/bouldered land beside crown land forest, with enough flower garden and lawn to keep everyone busy. From there, we took brief trips around NS to Cape Breton, the Valley, Clare, Chester, Shelburne and to PEI, several 1-week winter trips to Cuba and Dominican Republic, took in the 2006 nurses’ reunion in ON, held a Fenton family reunion in our backyard, Nora’s high school reunion in Kennetcook, Len’s 50th 2007 high school reunion in Miscouche PEI and extended Praught family reunion, as well as a 2-week Alaska-Yukon tour in 2008.

In 2007, Nora showed the first sign of dementia and succumbed to Alzheimer’s disease in April of 2014. From this point forward, Len’s dog Keegan became his full-time companion as they went for 4 walks a day, rain or shine. The walks were at 8:30 am, 12:00 pm, 4:00 pm, and 6:30 pm everyday like clockwork. If you wanted to join them on a walk you had better be ready on time because they were leaving whether you were ready or not.

Through the years Len’s favorite activities were: Genealogy research, playing Bridge, hockey, & Golf, reading, and travelling the world with the love of his life Nora.

The family would like to thank Denver from Home Instead for all his efforts / care in looking after Len while he was living with Lesley.

“That best portion of a good man’s life, his little, nameless, unremembered, acts of kindness and of love.” – July 13, 1798 by William Wordsworth

Condolences can be posted online at:

https://www.dignitymemorial.com/en-ca/obituaries/halifax-ns/j-praught-11749421

Len will be cremated, and his memorial service will be held on Friday, April 5th at 2 pm in J. A. Snow Funeral Home, 339 Lacewood Dr., Halifax, with Reverand Kevin Little leading the service. Followed by a reception at the funeral home.