LEONARD WILLIAMS PASSED AWAY SUDDENLY AT HIS HOME IN ARROWWOOD, ALBERTA FEBRUARY 28, 1991 AT THE AGE OF 71 YEARS.
LEONARD WAS BORN JUNE 25, 1919 ON THE FARM EAST OF ARROWWOOD AND COMPLETED HIGH SCHOOL AT ARROWWOOD SCHOOL.
HE WORKED FOR SAM AND FRANK BURGER FROM SPRING THROUGH TO HARVEST IN 1939 AND UNTIL FREEZE-UP FOR CANADA LAND AND IRRIGATION, WHERE HE MET IRENE PAGE WHO WAS ALSO WORKING THERE. THE FOLLOWING SPRING HE WORKED FOR L.H. PHILLIPS, SETTING UP COMBINES. IN THE FALL OF 1940 HE WENT TO WORK FOR THE ALBERTA WHEAT POOL IN ARROWWOOD. HE MARRIED IRENE IN MAY 1941. LEONARD CONTINUED TO WORKING AS A RELIEF MAN FOR THE ALBERTA WHEAT POOL IN ARROWWOOD, ETZIKOM, PURPLE SPRINGS, RETLAW, BROOKS THEN TO ENCHANT AS AGENT IN THE FALL OF 1941.
IN MARCH OF 1942 HE JOINED THE ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE. WHILE STATIONED IN RED DEER, HE PLAYED HOCKEY ON THE RED DEER RUSTLER TEAM. HE THEN TOOK HIS TRAINING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA AND QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY IN ONTARIO IN RADAR MECHANICS AND TO FINISHING SCHOOL AT CLINTON, ONTARIO. IN JUNE 1943 HE WENT OVERSEAS AND SERVED WITH THE 83RD PATHFINDER SQUADRON IN BOMBER COMMAND.
HE RETURNED HOME AND RESUMED A POSITION WITH THE ALBERTA WHEAT POOL AS AGENT AT SHOULDICE. IN 1947 LEONARD BEGAN FARMING WITH HIS BROTHERS DAYTON AND DONALD. THEY ALSO BOUGHT AND RAN THE B.A. SERVICE STATION IN SHOULDICE WHERE LEONARD AND HIS FAMILY LIVED UNTIL SELLING AND MOVING TO ARROWWOOD IN 1951, AND FARMED ON HIS OWN PLACE.
HE SERVED ON THE COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD AS TRUSTEE FOR ARROWWOOD FOR THREE YEARS, AS VICE PRESIDENT OF THE HOME AND SCHOOL ASSOCIATION. IN 1959 LEONARD BEGAN DRIVING SCHOOL BUS WHICH HE CONTINUED TO DO FOR OVER TWENTY CONSECUTIVE YEARS.
HE WAS ONE OF THE FOUNDING MEMBERS OF THE ARROWWOOD GOSPEL CHURCH AND HAS ALWAYS SERVED ON THE CHURCH BOARD. LEONARD HAD A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND HE ENJOYED TEACHING SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS FOR OVER TWENTY-FIVE YEARS. HE LOVED HIS FAMILY, FRIENDS AND SHARING THE GOSPEL. HE ENJOYED YEARLY TRIPS TO A FAVORITE FISHING CAMP. CAMP AVORADO ON VANCOUVER ISLAND IN THE SUMMER WHICH HE AND IRENE HAVE DONE FOR THE PAST NINETEEN YEARS. LEONARD ENJOYED A GOOD MEAL OUT AND RAISING CHAROLAIS CATTLE. IN HIS YOUNGER YEARS HE ALSO ENJOYED CURLING.
BELOVED HUSBAND OF MRS. IRENE WILLIAMS AND LOVING FATHER OF THREE DAUGHTERS, FERN AND RICHARD VACHON, ALL OF ARROWWOOD, GALE AND GERRY HAMMETT OF CALGARY AND FAITH AND ALVIN VAAGE OF CHAMPION, A SON JIM AND HIS WIFE TWI OF ARROWWOOD, SEVEN GRANDCHILDREN JEFF AND STEVE VACHON, BILL OAKES JR., SHANNON, CRYSTAL AND JUSTIN VAAGE, AND NICOLE WILLIAMS, SIX BROTHERS HAROLD AND HELEN OF CALGARY, HURLEY AND GRACE OF ARROWWOOD, DAYTON AND DARLENE, DONALD AND URSULA ALL & OF VULCAN, LYLE AND LORENE OF ACME AND ARNOLD AND LORRAINE POBST OF ARROWWOOD, THREE SISTERS HELEN JONES OF VULCAN, RUBY BECKNER OF CALGARY AND MARLENE AND JIM RUTHERFORD OF CALGARY, NUMEROUS NIECES AND NEPHEWS.
HE WAS PREDECEASED BY HIS MOTHER CANDANCE, HIS FATHER CLATE AN INFANT BROTHER AND SISTER.
FUNERAL SERVICE TUESDAY, MARCH 5 AT 1:30 P.M. AT ARROWWOOD COMMUNITY HALL WITH REV. LEN EICHLER OFFICIATING. INTERMENT IN THE FAMILY PLOT ARROWWOOD CEMETERY.
HONORARY PALLBEARERS WERE CHUCK BANNISTER, BOB CLEMENS, PETE BROWN, ARTHUR (DUTCH) DEWITT, GENE BURRISS AND DON BROOKS.
ACTIVE PALLBEARERS WERE CHARLES OBERHOLTZER, STEVE VACHON, MARK DeMARCHANT, BILL OAKES JR, JEFF VACHON AND BILL OAKES SR.
IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, IF FRIENDS SO DESIRE, DONATIONS TO CAMP CHESTERMERE BOX 21, SITE 2 RR7, CHESTERMERE LAKE WOULD BE APPRECIATED.
FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS IN CARE OF VULCAN FUNERAL HOME.