Gordon Melvin Leonard passed away peacefully at St. Joseph’s Special Care Home in Estevan, SK on Tuesday, November 21, 2017 at the age of 86.
Gordon was born on the family farm near Roche Percee, SK on January 30, 1931 to loving parents, Ernest and Annie (North) Leonard. He attended Britannia School along with his older brother Clifford and his younger sister Phyllis. Gordon met Joyce Pederson, a young new teacher at Britannia School in 1947 and the two were married in 1950. The next few years included a move to Bienfait and in 1953 their only daughter, Cheryl, was born. After Gordon accepted a job with Soo Security Motorways in 1955, the family moved to North Portal where they stayed until 1964. A job offer from the Estevan Co-op then brought the family to Estevan where Gordon worked in the furniture department, the service station and as a bulk petroleum truck driver until his retirement in 1990.
Gordon liked to work in the yard, tinker with his vehicles, curl, and more than anything else, play his guitar and sing. He started playing for dances at an early age, and continued until the age of 80. For many of those years Gordon and his sister, Phyllis, played for weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, in Legion clubrooms, singles’ dances, seniors’ centres, and somewhere every New Year’s Eve.
Gordon and Joyce loved to travel and visited Nashville and Las Vegas numerous times, as well as many Canadian destinations. Cruises and camping were also popular holidays for them. They especially enjoyed their holidays when Cheryl, her husband Paul, and granddaughters, Nicole and Jennifer, would join them.
Gordon was predeceased by his wife Joyce Leonard; parents, Ernie and Annie Leonard; parents-in-law, Walfred and Shirley Pederson; brother Clifford Leonard; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Bill Morrow, June (Roy) Cann, Betty (Gerry) Bateson, Ed Voisin and Alf Farwell.
He will be lovingly remembered by his daughter Cheryl (Paul) Deren, Estevan; granddaughters, Nicole (Greg) Bawden, Pilot Butte and Jennifer (Mike) Brown, Milestone; great grandchildren, Carter and Finley Brown and Emma and Matthew Bawden; sister Phyllis Morrow, Oxbow; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Elda Leonard, Estevan, Donna Voisin, Moose Jaw, Eldeen Farwell, Moose Jaw, Warren (Bev) Pederson, Chase, B.C. and Anne (George) Holman, Regina, and special friend Jan Leonard of Estevan, as well as many nieces and nephews.
A Public Visitation was held on Monday, November 27, 2017 from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Chapel of Hall Funeral Services, Estevan. The Funeral Service was held on Tuesday, November 28, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Paul's United Church, Estevan, with Rev. Jason Richards officiating. Interment followed at Souris Valley Memorial Gardens, after which a luncheon was held in the church auditorium.
If friends so desire, donations in Gordon's memory may be made to the Shriners Hospitals For Children - Canada, 1003 Decarie Boulevard, Montreal, QC, H4A 0A9 or St. Paul's United Church, 1418 - 3rd Street, Estevan, SK, S4A 0S4.
Funeral arrangements were entrusted to Hall Funeral Services, Estevan.
