LEONARD ALBERT HART, FORMERLY OF INNISFAIL, ALBERTA PASSED AWAY SURROUNDED BY HIS FAMILY JANUARY 20, 2000 AT VULCAN COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTRE AT THE AGE OF 82 YEARS.
LEONARD WAS BORN JUNE 7, 1917 IN LOMOND, ALBERTA TO FREDRICK AND FLORENCE HART. HE ATTENDED FIRST CHANCE SCHOOL EAST OF LOMOND. HE TOOK A MECHANICS COURSE, AND LATER BEGAN WORKING FOR BURNS PACKING PLANT IN EDMONTON WHERE HE WORKED UNTIL HE JOINED THE ARMY IN APRIL 1939. HE SERVED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN AREA AND CONTINENTAL EUROPE THEATERS HE RETURNED HOME WITH THE RANK OF ARMAMENT STAFF SERGEANT IN JANUARY 1946. LEONARD MARRIED MAY BROOKS IN MAY OF 1947 AT TABER, ALBERTA. THEY SPENT THEIR YEARS TOGETHER IN MANY SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL ALBERTA TOWNS, WHERE LEONARD WORKED AS A MECHANIC, A POLICEMAN, A FIREMAN AND A FARMER. THEY LIVED IN THE INNISFAIL AREA FOR 18 YEARS ON AN ACREAGE. IN DECEMBER OF 1998 THEY MOVED TO VULCAN WHERE HE RESIDED UNTIL OCTOBER OF 1999 WHEN HE MOVED INTO EXTENDICARE.
LEONARD LOVED HIS FAMILY, HE ENJOYED PLAYING CARDS ESPECIALLY POKER, BRIDGE, CRAZY PEDRO, CRIB AND SOLITAIRE BY THE HOUR. IN HIS YOUNGER YEARS HE ENJOYED PLAYING BASEBALL, BOXING AND WOULD TAKE TIME TO TEACH BOXING AND WAS VERY ACTIVE IN THE VULCAN CALGARY HIGHLANDERS ARMY CADETS. HE LOVED ANIMALS AND HIS SPECIAL PAL WAS A DOG NAMED “BJ”.
LEONARD WAS A LIFETIME MEMBER OF THE VULCAN LODGE NO. 74, A.F. & A.M. AND THE ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION VULCAN AND INNISFAIL BRANCHES.
HE IS SURVIVED BY HIS WIFE OF 52 YEARS OF MAY, TWO DAUGHTERS BETH (LEE) SOMERVILLE ALL OF VULCAN AND PAT( GARY REID) HART OF CALGARY, TEN GRANDCHILDREN, FIFTEEN GREAT GRANDCHILDREN, A BROTHER OLIVER (DOREEN) HART OF LOMOND, NUMEROUS BROTHERS AND SISTERS-IN-LAW, NIECES AND NEPHEWS.
HE WAS PREDECEASED BY TWO SONS HOWARD IN 1964 AND LYLE IN 1975, A SISTER EDNA HART, TWO BROTHERS WALTER AND DENVER AND HIS PARENTS.
FUNERAL SERVICE MONDAY JANUARY 24, 2000 AT 2 P.M. AT VULCAN LEGION HALL WITH PADRE DOUG BARRIE OFFICIATING.
HONORARY BEARERS WERE HIS GRANDCHILDREN TIM HART, DIANA LENS, LANA SEITZ, LEANNE OWEL, CHERIE SCHEETZ, LORA BREWSTER, LANCE SOMERVILLE, TAMMY AND GREG PLANTE.
CASKET BEARERS WERE LEGION MEMBERS ROD SPEER, ED ZELKE, DAYTON WILLIAMS AND MASON MEMBERS GEORGE ANDREWS, JIM McNIVEN AND RON LUCAS.
CREMATION TO FOLLOW.
A MEMORIAL SERVICE WILL BE HELD SATURDAY JANUARY 29, 2000 AT 2 P.M. AT INNISFAIL COTTONWOOD HALL WITH INURNMENT IN THE FIELD OF HONOR OLDS CEMETERY.
ARRANGEMENTS IN CARE OF VULCAN FUNERAL HOME. DIRECTORS. TELEPHONE 485-2633.