Obituary of LEON ALBERT RAYMOND JOSEPH BEAUCHAMP

Leon Albert Raymond Joseph Beauchamp

(1941 – 2019)

 

It is a deeply sad moment when one who gives you fond memories becomes a memory.  Surrounded by the love of his family at his side, Leon Albert Raymond Joseph Beauchamp passed away on Friday, February 15, 2019. Despite suffering from congestive heart failure for many years, Dad/Grandpa remained active and independent, viewing each day as a blessing and living his life to the fullest.  He was an interesting, spontaneous person with a sense of humour and a quick wit, who delighted in making the most of every moment.  Life with him was never boring. 

 

Our dad/grandpa was a kind-hearted and loving man whose focus in his last years was on spending as much time as possible with us, always striving to enrich our lives.  He left us too soon, his absence is profound, and we feel fortunate to have had someone in our lives who makes saying goodbye so difficult. 

 

He will be lovingly remembered by his sons, Brent (Pam Moss), Dean and Neil, their mother Annette, and their sibling Nikko, his precious grandchildren Chris, Caylin and Zachary, and his five loving sisters & brothers-in-law, nieces and nephews and their families, Yvanne and Don Marsh (Donna, Debbie, Gerald and Kevin), Georgette and Larry Klewchuk (Carrie and Lori), Collette and Tom Gilmore (Scott and Patrick), Paula and Tony Ford (Michael, Kaylyn, Mark and Kristin), Michelle and Greg Szott (Chris, Aaron and Kennan), his aunts Rita Fortier and Laura Ollivier,  numerous cousins and friends. 

 

Leon was born in Flin Flon on April 14, 1941, the eldest child of Raymond and Victoria “Vickie” (Ollivier) Beauchamp.  His arrival was the beginning of the close, loving, supportive family which developed as each of his five sisters followed.  Leon was sixteen months old when his sister Yvanne was born.  Yvanne was unwell, and to allow their mother to focus on Yvanne’s care, Leon resided in Hemming Lake with his grandparents, Anne and Yves Ollivier for most of his preschool years.  Yves and Anne had emigrated from France and French was Leon’s first language.  Leon went to school in Flin Flon and for Grade 9 attended Notre Dame College at Wilcox, SK.  Although he treasured his memories of Flin Flon and life at the family cottage, Leon always remembered his year in Wilcox as the most memorable year of his youth.  Leon then moved to Rathwell, MB where he began his mechanics training and apprenticed in his uncles John & Peter Ollivier’s garage.  Upon completion of this five year program, Leon graduated as a journeyman mechanic.  While in Rathwell, he met Annette Gautron in 1960 and they were married in 1963.  Leon began taking pilot lessons and completed his pilot training, including his night endorsement in Portage la Prairie.  He also logged in many hours at the Carman Flying Club and spent much time flying with his good friend, Dr. Mel Woods.  Leon and Mel also enjoyed countless hours together tinkering on Mel’s large car collection.  In 1967 Leon and Annette moved to Winnipeg where Leon attended the Adult Education Centre and completed his Grade 12.  Afterwards he attended the University of Manitoba where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology.  While working on his degree Leon worked as an evening receptionist at St. Paul’s High School and also spent his summers working in the field for the Department of Mines & Natural Resources.  While continuing to work part time, he then attended Red River Community College to complete the two year Industrial Arts teacher training program.  As there was a shortage of teachers in his field, he was asked to complete his course work in the evening and leave the program to teach Auto Mechanics at Elmwood High School.  Completing the remaining course work in the evening proved challenging as one of the courses was not offered in the evening.  Resourceful by nature, Leon flew himself to North Dakota one evening a week to complete his final course.  Leon taught at Elmwood High for several years before joining Transcona-Springfield S. D. (now River East Transcona S. D.) where he worked until his retirement in 2005.

 

Dad was very outgoing and congenial.  He enjoyed meeting, engaging with, and helping people, easily connecting with them and making friends, readily chatting with strangers and making them feel like he’d known them all his life.  Dad loved working part-time at Home Depot for many years, and continued to do so for several years after retiring from his teaching career.  He enjoyed sharing his knowledge and making people laugh and smile.  He touched many lives over the years, and was a mentor to many, inside and outside the classroom.  A number of students contacted him in later years to express their appreciation and to thank him for genuinely caring about them. 

 

Dad had a special fondness for his aunt Laura and travelled to Notre Dame de Lourdes to visit her on a regular basis.  He always remembered to bring her favourite treat, a Caramilk chocolate bar, and her huge smile made his heart melt.

 

One of Dad’s greatest passions was driving, and he was ready to go anywhere at any time.  He delighted in every minute of it, whether it be revisiting familiar places and reminiscing, exploring new venues, or travelling throughout Canada and the US.  Never one to shy away from a new experience, in 1974, Dad (and our mother) volunteered with OCOD, teaching summer courses to educators in St. Lucia, W.I.  It was an eventful summer filled with wonderful memories, except for the terrifying ocean voyage between St. Lucia and Martinique during a hurricane.  Having lived through this ordeal, Dad would never entertain the idea of going on an ocean cruise.

 

Dad was very handy and he could make and repair almost anything.  He was especially proud of the large wooden canoe he and Brent built together, complete with webbed seats and paddles.  He also had many hobbies, one of which was bird carving.  He loved the outdoors and enjoyed being out in nature, camping, building bonfires, swimming, boating, fishing, picking berries and in later years his garden was his pride and joy.  He started his seedlings early and meticulously tended his garden.  He enjoyed the camaraderie of his fellow gardeners and was proud of his bounty, sharing it with others and preserving much of it for the winter months.       

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

We are grateful to Dad for dedicating considerable time tracing his family genealogy, accessing paternal family archives dating back to 1557 and leaving us a trove of information, as well as a number of familial items of personal and historical interest. 

 

 

We would like to thank our five aunts and our uncle, Yvanne & Don, Georgette, Collette, Paula and Michelle for travelling from Alberta and Palm Desert, CA, for spending so much time with our dad and grandpa, for surrounding us all with so much love and support, and for continuing to support us from afar while dealing with your own grief.  Dad was fortunate to have such amazing sisters and your families in his life.  You are all truly special.  Dad loved you deeply and we love you so very much.  Thanks to other family members and friends for your kind words, your acts of kindness, flowers and cards.

 

The family greatly appreciates and thanks Natasha and Paul, Randy, Mamary, Van and all the friends and neighbours who were so good to our dad during the time he lived alone in his home, whether it be Natasha and Paul spending time with him when he was not well, Mamary shovelling his snow, Randy making his day by taking Dad flying (which Dad was always eager and excited to do), Van making him rice soup, friends visiting with him, and any number of other acts of kindness and goodwill.  You were all special to Dad, and he mentioned you often, expressing how much you meant to him and how fortunate he was to have such caring neighbourhood friends.  Thank you all for caring about our dad.

 

Special thanks to the first responders, the St. Boniface Emergency staff, Grace Hospital staff, and the Grace Hospital ICU team who provided such dedicated care.  Also special thanks to the two anonymous moving van workers who brought Dad back in from the cold prior to the ambulance’s arrival.

 

Cremation has taken place and as per dad’s wishes there will be no service.  To honour Dad/Grandpa, we ask that you be kind to each other, help someone in need, visit an old friend or someone who would appreciate a visit, and tell your loved ones how much you love them, and do it often.  Dad would like that.

 

We love you, Dad, Grandpa, Leon, and you will forever remain in our hearts.

 

There is a link death can never sever.

Love and remembrance last forever.