The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Leonard Earl Jamieson was born in Nipawin, SK on April 26, 1953, the son of Earl and Helen (Wilcox) Jamieson, a younger brother for Gary. He grew up in Choiceland, surrounded by small town warmth, friends and family. He had many childhood and teenaged adventures there and often spent the weekends fishing with his family, growing up to love nature and especially lake country. He went to school at Choiceland Elementary and William Mason High School, leaving home to join the Canadian Armed Forces in1970. He spent five adventurous and enjoyable years as a Private in the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry and in the Royal Canadian Airborne Regiment. He served in Canada and Germany until 1975, and during this time, he participated in a dangerous peacekeeping mission in Cyprus of which he seldom spoke. During his time in Europe, he travelled extensively and enjoyed getting to know the countries and the everyday people who lived there. He tended to avoid tourist attractions, preferring to become acquainted with the "real" people. Upon leaving the army, Len worked in the glass industry in Calgary and enjoyed new adventures on high-rise buildings, and in northern Saskatchewan. He also farmed with his dad during the summers, and when he married Donna in August 1980, they settled on the homestead quarter and began their life together as full-time farmers. Connor was born in April 1982, Madessa in September 1983, and Layton in November 1984, and collectively, they became his best adventure and his new reason for living. He enjoyed spending time with them when they were small, and took pride in watching them grow up and develop into the young adults they are today. Over the Choiceland years, he worked for the local alfalfa De-Hy, the RM of Torch River, Nipawin Glass, and Whyte Lumber & Supply. He obtained work, and the hope of a better future for his kids, in Creighton in 1989 so the family moved there in 1990. Norlite Glass later became his pet project, combining his love of people and the glass industry. When it became necessary to move on to new ventures Len, forever the optimist, was game for new pursuits wherever they would lead. In 1999, he joined Creighton Housing Authority and was employed there until his death. As always, he loved the job and relished his position as Maintenance Supervisor. It challenged him and put to use his wealth of experience, his broad range of skills, his energy, curiosity, and unending patience. Len loved the outdoors and spent countless hours in his life exploring on foot, or by any other means available. He often told stories about adventures with his dad, or his uncle Mel at Wollaston Lake, and about long treks made in the army. He was quite proud of the fact that he had walked, fully packed, across Ellesmere Island on a mapping and surveying expedition, and finished the famous Niemegan Walk in Holland three years in a row. He loved to fly, and enjoyed challenges like jumping out of helicopters, and winter camping near Wainwright, Alberta! He was an enthusiastic downhill skier, having frequented the slopes of the Swiss Alps, Banff and Jasper; however, life in Saskatchewan did not provide much opportunity for skiing in recent years! He enjoyed canoeing and always hoped to canoe the Churchill and Sturgeon Weir Rivers. He was an avid fisherman, but sometimes went fishing just to enjoy the peace and quiet, or to explore new waterways. He took pleasure in camping and snowmobiling, as well as the wildlife encountered on such expeditions. Len's grandson Brady, born in January 2003, was the beginning of the newest stage in Len's life, and he made the best of his short "grandfather time". This was a new adventure to Len and he took great pleasure in getting to know and love Christa, and in watching Brady grow and learn. He welcomed them both into the family with pride. On the evening before his death, Len asked Donna to "get a grin for him" when she was to visit Brady Ð it tells all about the way he lived, for family and fun. Len was a modest man but experienced much in his life and was not afraid to keep learning whenever the opportunity arose. He had gathered much wisdom, and was interested and active in improving his community and the world around him. He was not afraid of hard work, and believing in its importance, he was almost always busy at something - even as his days grew short. He did not easily tolerate betrayal of trust or dishonesty, but was a "people person", a respected, loyal and generous friend or neighbour, and he had much compassion, understanding and forgiveness for the less fortunate. He felt that everyone had a unique history, and that every life had value in that something could be learned from it. Len was a loving and gentle husband and father, and was always an enthusiastic participant in family life Ð as a brother, a son, or an uncle. He loved to share a good joke or funny story, and could always be counted on for his sense of humour, whether hanging out with the guys, or in the middle of some fancy dinner! He was a very sociable man with an easy smile, who could talk to anyone on any subject, and make him or her feel comfortable . . . however, he also enjoyed matching wits with even the strongest opponents if he thought it worth his while! Len received the devastating news that he had "terminal" cancer in August 2002. He handled this problem in the same way he did everything else Ð with commitment and dedication to do whatever he needed to. He managed to stretch the six months originally allowed him to a full year longer than predicted. Cancer never took his spirit or his sense of humour and even as the disease progressed, he always had a smile or a joke for everyone. He spoke as though things were normal, and one of his favourite sayings when someone asked about his health was, "Fine as frog's hair!". He knew how hard it was for people to find words in the situation and he always made an effort to put others at ease in his presence. He often comforted them instead of taking comfort from them! Through very difficult times, Len gave us all strength, and the hope that things would eventually get better, one way or another. Without ever giving up, he was preparing us for his passing, helping family and friends to know we could go on without him. He continued to laugh and to love when others in the same situation might have given up, and when asked if he wished he could have changed anything, he said, "No, if I had changed anything, I might not have had all the good things I have today." He seldom felt sorry for himself, always pointing out someone in a worse situation than he Ð especially when it involved little children. Len passed away at Flin Flon General Hospital on the sunny afternoon of Tuesday, February 24, 2004 with Donna and Layton at his side. Len is loved and survived by his wife Donna, his children Connor of Calgary, Dess of Saskatoon, and Layton (Christa) and his only grandchild, Brady, of Creighton. He is also survived by his mother, Helen, his father Earl and his brother Gary (Joan), as well as his father-in-law, George Whyte, a brother-in-law, Brian (Debbie) and two sisters-in-law, Eleanor (Randy) and Tracey (Darren). Len has six nieces and nephews of whom he was very proud Ð Brice and Evan Jamieson, Destiny, Dana and Jarrett Whyte, and Jacob Smith, as well as a step-daughter Marya (Dean) McNabb of Shaunavon, and their children Jessie, Joran and Kamryn. His numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and other in-laws will also miss him very much . . . along with a wealth of army buddies, associates and good true friends made wherever he went. Len was predeceased by his baby sister, Lorraine, in 1966, and his mother-in-law, Jean Whyte, in 1990. A private memorial dinner and social was held to honour Len's life and accomplishments on Saturday, February 28 at the Quality Hotel in Saskatoon. Major Jill Purdy delivered a tribute and offered grace, and later, Len's oldest and dearest friend from the CAF, Wayne Wonnacott, proposed a toast to his memory. Another old friend from Calgary, Pete Saunders, took the podium and shared some reminiscences and laughter about their army days together. The evening continued with love and laughter and playing children, a background of Len's favourite 70's rock music, and a display of photographs and keepsakes from his life. On behalf of Len's family, Donna would like to thank with all our hearts, the loved ones who have walked this long and difficult road with us and who continue to do so Ð we could not have endured these trials without you. We know that you will always be here for us and for each other, and will always surround us with your love and support through good times and bad. Thanks also to all of our friends, old and new, and the neighbours or associates who grieved with us or helped in any way over the past year and a half - even those so devastated by the news of our illnesses that they could not find the courage to be with us. We knew that you were out there too, that you shed tears with us, and that your hearts were just as truly broken. We understood how difficult it must have been to know what assistance to offer or what words to say in the face of such anguish. Thanks for your support in whatever form, and from near or far . . . for the phone calls, visits, cards, gifts, flowers and food; the hugs and shared tears, laughs or memories; the many acts of kindness and generosity - even from strangers; the donations in Len's memory to the Saskatoon Cancer Centre or the Canadian Cancer Society. Thank you now for helping us to pick up our daily lives and go on without Len, and for remembering him with us. The family would also like to thank Len's medical team, most notably Dr. Amin, Dr. Coetzee and the third floor nurses in Flin Flon; and Dr. Haider, Dr. Kennedy and Dena in Saskatoon. All of them helped us to face our fear and give us extra time together, to ease our way through the trials and tribulations of the past many months. Their gentle kindness, honesty and compassion, and their friendly smiles are forever etched in our minds and hearts. The many chemo nurses and other staff at the Saskatoon Cancer Centre especially, always brightened up Len's days, even the worst ones, and our family will be forever grateful to them for bringing a smile to his face through some exhausting times. Our thanks also go out to staff at the Dadson Funeral Home in Flin Flon, and the Quality Hotel in Saskatoon, for their help and efficiency in making the arrangements for our non-traditional event to celebrate Len's life. Their efforts helped us all to pay tribute in a way that honoured him as the unique individual he was and would have made him happy. It has left his family with smiles, good memories, and a sense of peace - the time for grief is over. Len's cremated remains will be scattered at a later date in a northern location, and in the way that he requested. A memorial tribute will be placed at the Crocken Hill Cemetery near Choiceland and the farm that he loved, with family and childhood friends.
