Leo Romeo Fontaine
Feb. 4, 1944 – Feb.6, 2021

With great memories and sad hearts our family announce the passing of Leo Fontaine at the age of 77 after an aggressive cancer that began in his lungs had within months claimed his body as well. He passed away at home with family by his side.

Leo was born in Spiritwood, Saskatchewan to Caroline and Joe Fontaine and spent his teen years with his family in Smiley, Saskatchewan where he made life long friends and began working in the oil industry. From the work over rigs he moved to Red Deer where he began working for Otis Pressure Control. He and Mary-Ann married in 1964 and after a stint in High Level, he accepted a transfer with his family to Great Yarmouth, England and began an overseas career in bottom hole safety and pressure that lasted for the next 35 years. His work took him to Norway, Denmark and other areas in Europe, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Bangkok, Africa and Australia. When he retired from Stuart Petroleum in Adelaide, Australia, he and Mary-Ann moved back to Canada.

They spent winters in Edmonton; Spring to Fall were spent in their home at Harrison Hot Springs, BC. Friends and families gathered there and Leo was in his element. He enjoyed being surrounded by people he loved and had no urge to travel in retirement except to cruise the lake in his pontoon boat. He enjoyed being on the deck in the morning, coffee with the neighbors and the rhythm of the lake. We were so lucky to have a man like him in our lives. Leo was genuinely good, kind, generous, with a wicked sense of humor and a generosity of spirit. He didn’t lecture or judge, led by example and loved with an open heart.

Leo was predeceased by his father and mother Joe and Caroline Fontaine, his brothers Lawrence and Andy Lajeunesse, his brother Marcel and nephew Troy Fontaine, his brother-in-law Lloyd Tipman, sister-in-law Fran Stewart and mother-in-law Frances Tipman.

Left to mourn his passing: his wife of 57 years Mary-Ann, two sons Tom and Jody (Michele), and daughter Nicole. Justin Stewart. Grandchildren and extended family, also grand. Logan and Quinn. Dakota (Prahb), Dave, Jackalynne. Devan, Megan. Genis (Luke, Poppy), Theresa, John (deceased), Liz (Craig, Avah, Owen), Maria. Kyla, Zachary, Jordan (Patricia).

Sadly missing him – sisters Geri Holmes and Lucille and Ralph Boudreaux, Emil and Donna Lajeunesse, Gerry Lajeunesse, and Sister-in-Law June Fontaine. In-laws Mike and Marie Tipman, Ken and Lois Erickson, Kathy and Lyle Johnson. There are a wealth of nieces and nephews and grand nieces and nephews – a host of friends and their families that will remember him with a smile.

Special thanks to the Palliative Home Care NW group who made it possible for us to keep Leo at home and to Doctor Ryan Akroyd whose guidance and compassion were a source of comfort and support.

Leo’s ashes will be interred in Red Deer when the family can get together again.

Donations in Leo’s name would be welcome at Stars Air Ambulance, the MS Society of Canada or a charity of your choice.

It is with heavy hearts we announce the sudden passing of Joaquim (Joe) Antonio Calado on April 12, 2021.

Joe will be greatly missed by his family; common-law wife Lana Anderson, her daughter Sydney (Scott McLeod); his sister Maria (Claude Cabral); his nephew (Jeffrey), niece (Melissa) and many other relatives, close friends and coworkers.

Joe was born in Portugal, November 9th, 1953 to Antonio and Maria (Clara) Calado.

For 42 years he truly enjoyed driving bus for the Edmonton Transit System.

He was an avid sportsman, both actively; hockey, wallyball, golf; and passively cheering on his Montreal Canadiens and Edmonton Oilers.

Joe was a very special man who strongly lived and believed the simple rule of treat others as you would want to be treated.

Rest in peace Joey, until we meet again.

A Celebration of Joe’s Life will be announced when we can safely gather in numbers.

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Evan Jones at the age of 55 years. He is survived by his mother, Eleanor, his sisters Lynn, and Dilys (Lawrence), and his nieces Margaret and Vanessa. He was predeceased by his father, Albert, and his brother, Garth. There will be a private family gathering at a future date.

In Memory of
Eric.J.Racine
Oct 05/1970 – April 18/2021
My True Love
You are in God’s Warm Embrace now, be at Peace

On April 18/2021 Eric passed away at the age of 50years, from cardiomyopathy.

Eric will be dearly missed by His wife Darci, Mother Ginette (Wayne), Aunt Denise, Sister in-law Penny (Tim), 2 nephews Michael, Thomas (Tiffani), 2 great nieces Annabeth & Tahlia, and Brother in-law Darrell (Shannon). As well as other family members, close friends, & co-workers.

Eric and his family moved to Alberta from Quebec at the tender age of 5yrs old. He started grade one speaking French, he quickly adapted and learned to speak English. French was spoken at home, English was spoken at school.

Eric got pleasure from the simple things in life, he loved music and he went to many concerts. He also enjoyed watching sports. When there was a hockey game on T.V., he yelled so loud that I am sure the players could hear him as if he was actually at the live game. He loved watching Timber Kings, Rust Valley Restorers, and a few other home improvement etc. shows. Eric also loved taking trips to Jasper.

Eric spent his life working outdoors, he could not be restricted, or confined to working in a building.
He had 31 yrs. experience operating a skid steer, during that time he also became a certified Arborist.

I would like to say Thank You to the staff at Park Landscaping for making such an enjoyable place for Eric to get up and go to work at. Eric took great pride in his job. He also liked to pass on knowledge he gained over the years to new workers starting out in the landscaping industry.

Eric you will be Greatly Missed

Cremation has taken place, and a small gathering may follow at a later date.
Rest in Peace my Love

Elmer, Robert Szlabey On April 13th, 2021 Elmer Szlabey, also known as Bob Szlabey of Edmonton, Alberta passed away at the age of 80 years old. A visitation will be held at Simply Cremations, 5224 – 99 Street Edmonton at 2:30 – 4:00 p.m. Uncle Bob, You will be greatly missed by all your family, and especially all your friends. We love you. May you rest in peace.

It’s with great sadness that we announce the passing of Wilhelmina (Wilma) Kerr on April 8, 2021 at the age of 81.

She passed away at home surrounded by her loved ones at her side. She will always be remembered for her feisty spirit and her love of family and friends.
She is survived by her Husband William, Son David (Dianne), Daughter Valerie (David). Grandchildren Sarah (Daniel), Ryley, Joshua and her Great Grandchildren Jacob and Mairead. Predeceased by her First Born Ian.
On behalf of the Family we wish to express a Special Thank you to the Homecare Pallitive team.

We will be holding a Celebration of Life at a later date.

With great sorrow we announce the passing of Gary Michael Gayleard, 52 of Edmonton, AB, who lost his battle with cancer March 28, 2021.

Gary was born in Selkirk, MB on December 29, 1968 to Edward & Lily Gayleard. Although he lived in MB, and Sask, he spent most of his life in Edmonton, AB. Gary was an expressive, creative and artistic young man. He loved music, fashion and was an avid reader of fantasy novels.

He met the love of his life Chelsey at a friend’s wedding, and their friendship and love grew from there. They were married January 4, 2020 with all of the family members watching.

Gary and Chelsey both shared a love of long drives, cooking together, watching the history documentaries and their trips to Victoria. They loved to laugh with family and friends and were members of the Riders Nation.

Gary was preceded in death by his father Edward in 1996.

Gary is survived by his wife Chelsey, daughter Cadence, mother Lily, brother John (Liza), sister Roberta, brother Wilfred (Val) and brother Gerald (Heidi). Nephews and nieces Johnny, Andrew, Sammy, David, Pearl and Sarah.

We would like to thank extended family and friends for all the love, support and care given to Gary during his battle with cancer.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Canadian Cancer Society of Canada.

Always loved and never forgotten. Till we meet again.

Eleanor Aiken, 79 years old, passed away peacefully on March 26, 2021 in Edmonton, Alberta after a valiant battle with cancer. Eleanor was born in Bromley, England on March 26, 1942. Her parents, Peter Aiken (Pte. of 43rd Field Artillery, R.C.H.A.) and Bridgette Gaughan, met during WWII in England. Eleanor’s maternal family is from Blacksod in the County of Mayo, Ireland, where she spent her first impressionable years.

Eleanor, with her mother Bridgette at her side, took the long journey to join her father in Dunkin, Quebec. Travelling from Ireland to England, then onto the ship called the Mauretania, arriving at pier 21 in Halifax on March 27th 1946, the day after her 5th birthday.

Eleanor grew up in Dunkin and went to school in the eastern townships of Quebec. After graduating from Knowlton Composite Highschool in 1961, she went on to study nursing, with the support of her Aunt Marie Gaughan, at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Montreal. Eleanor’s spark for nursing was ignited because of her father’s experience with the Red Cross during the war, a revered school nurse with a yearning to help others. She often spoke of her deep gratitude for having the opportunity to be a nurse, as she came from a family where finances were tight, so the help of her Aunt Marie is what made it possible to finish her costly nursing training.

She graduated from the Queen Elizabeth School of Nursing in June of 1965 as a Registered Nurse. During her nursing career she was a clinical instructor, clinical supervisor, and team leader. Her fondest experiences of nursing were regularly shared with family, the following hospitals left a resounding impact in her life; Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Royal Victoria Hospital, Brome Missisquoi Hospital, Maison Knowlton House, and the Misericordia Hospital. Eleanor practiced nursing in Quebec, Florida and Alberta.

Her first job as a registered nurse was at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, kicking off a nearly 50 year career as a well respected and accomplished registered nurse. Eleanor is a baby boomer, mother, aunt, sister, niece, grandmother to zoomers, and animal parent to many pets over the years. Her humour, wit, caring personality, resilience and strength will be severely missed.

After retiring in 2011, Eleanor moved in with her daughter, Rebecca Aiken. She spent quality time with her daughters, Jennifer and her dog, Burton (her favourite dog in the world), Rebecca, her husband, Aaron, and her treasured grandchildren, Arwin, Cassidy, and Eliana. Eleanor volunteered at a local school helping children, following her retirement in grade one classrooms, for as long as she was able. She enjoyed spending time with her five siblings whenever possible, reminiscing on special memories of Dunkin and growing up on the small country farm.

She is survived by her daughters Jennifer Aiken and Rebecca Aiken-Bailey (Aaron Bailey), grandchildren Arwin, Eliana, and Cassidy; siblings John Aiken (Lorraine Aiken), Violet Murphy (Dana Murphy), Lendy McLeod (Ken McLeod), Carolyn Aiken, and Tammy Aiken, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. She is predeceased by her father, Peter Aiken, and mother, Bridgette Aiken, and brother, Patrick Aiken.

Please consider a donation to the Canadian Wildlife Federation in Eleanor Aiken’s Memory. Eleanor loved Canadian wildlife, which was a favourite topic of conversation with her loved ones, particularly her children and grandchildren. Website is found here www.cwf-fcf.org which allows for donations in memory of, with the option of sending the family an ecard via 780becky@gmail.com if you choose.
Due to Covid-19 restrictions, a celebration of life will be held at a later date when she can be honoured with everyone who loved her safely.

DEBRA ANNE KNYSH On Monday, April 05, 2021, Mrs. Debra Knysh passed away peacefully at the Misericordia Hospital in Edmonton, AB with her children by her side. She celebrated her 72nd birthday on March 21. She was born to Ray and Muriel Thagard in 1949 in Winnipeg, Manitoba where she met and married the love of her life Al Knysh. Debra was predeceased by Al in 2007 as well as by his brother Dennis and her mother-in-law Bunny, whom she loved dearly.

She will be lovingly remembered by her three children Kari (Cam), Kevin (Katie), Kristan (Kelly), and her grandchildren Kyle, Coby, Reihen, and Marin. She also leaves to mourn an older sister Randi (Gerry) and younger sister Marny (Jerry), as well as nephews and nieces Jamie, Lindsey, Dana, Sara and Allison, and her brothers in-law Bryan and Tom.

She was a retired nurse who loved her job and caring for others and still kept in contact with many of her nursing friends. Although her health had deteriorated over the last few years, Deb was a fighter and her strength and spirit showed right until the end.

We love you Mom!