Obituary of Leonard Wolfe

B I O G R A P H Y WOLFE: Leonard Frances Wolfe passed away in the Lady Minto Health Care Center, Edam, Saskatchewan on Tuesday, January 25, 2005 at the age of 75 years. Leonard is survived by: three brothers: Fred Wolfe of Edam; Bernard Wolfe and his wife Mildred of Coquitlam, BC; Max Wolfe of Surrey, BC; two sisters: Jean and her husband Wes Elliott or Edam; and Doris Regnier of Red Deer, AB as well as numerous other relatives. Leonard was predeceased by his parents Max and Edith Wolfe, one brother Harry, sister-in-law Dot (Dorothy) Wolfe of Burnaby, BC; and sister-in-law Dorothy Wolfe of Edam, SK. The funeral service for Leonard was conducted from the Trinity United Church, Edam, Saskatchewan on Friday, January 28, 2005 at 2:00 P.M. with Pastor Pat Ribey officiating. A eulogy was given by Dwayne Wolfe, Linda Carson and Kathryn Cholette. Hymns sung were “In The Garden,” “Just A Closer Walk With Thee,” “Amazing Grace,” and “How Great Thou Art,” accompanied on the organ by Ruth McCaffrey. Active pallbearers were nephews: Dwayne Wolfe, John Wolfe, Roger Elliott, Roger Armstrong, Glen Wolfe and Shane Elliott. Interment followed in the Edam Cemetery. McCaw Funeral Service Ltd., of Lloydminster administered the funeral arrangements. Eulogy - Kathryn Cholette & Dwayne Wolfe All of us gathered here today have known Leonard in our own special way, but I’m sure that everyone would agree that he would not have been comfortable being the subject of our praises. Leonard was born August 11, 1929, at the onset of the Great Depression. Perhaps growing up in those times helped shape Leonard’s character, which was constant with an underlying quiet strength. He was a humble man with an unquestionable sense of integrity. Many people spend years in formal spiritual practise before they arrive at the place that Len was at. He knew his priorities in life; all on his own, he found a way of life that was very special. He did not get caught up in consuming. He kept his life simple without a lot of material possessions. He enjoyed family, friends and the natural world around him. A big part of that world was his farm; in some ways you might say that he was competitive, but only within himself. He would strive to increase his yields not for the sake of wealth but simply to raise the bar a little higher. He worked hard to improve the farm; picking stones until Grandma wondered how there could possibly be any stones left. I am sure many neighbours have seen Leonard’s half ton truck parked on roadside approaches while he would be out scouting his crops for wild oats that he would pick by hand. When I was young, Len was the only adult who ever had long conversations with me. We talked about all kinds of things but there was always a philosophical tone. I have always thought that Len was the wisest person I have ever met. As an uncle and great uncle, he was kind, generous and patient – all the things that spiritual teachings tell us to focus on in life. Whenever we worked for him, he always made us feel that we were his equal; his patience with us as we worked with him gave us self confidence and he displayed his satisfaction with the work that we had done by paying us kids with cash, not a cheque that would hold less meaning for a teenager, but cash. And most often the bills would be new and crisp, and we would know that they came straight from the Edam Credit Union with the sole purpose of paying a teenager for a job that was well done. The essence of who Len was, is as important to me as memories of all the happy times I spent in his company. I learned so much from him. Helen Keller said “ What we once enjoyed and deeply loved, we can never lose, for all that we deeply love becomes a part of us. In this sense I think many in our family know that Len has helped shape who they are and is a part of us in this way. Len made the world a better place for us and set a wonderful example for us. Now we need to focus on cherishing his memory as we grieve his loss and miss him forever. He is Gone Author Unknown You can shed tears that he is gone, or you can smile because he has lived. You can close your eyes and pray that he will come back, or you can open your eyes and see all that he has left. Your heart can be empty because you can’t see him, or you can be full of the love that you shared. You can remember him and only that he is gone, or you can cherish his memory and let it live on. You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back, or you can do what he would want – smile, open your eyes, love and go on …… In closing, there is one thing that I know that Uncle Len would like for us to say and that is “Thank You”. Thank you to each of you for being part of his life and for being here at this service of celebration of his life. A couple of evenings before he passed away, I was waiting in the hospital hallway as the nurses got him ready for the night. As they left his room, I overheard one nurse say to the other “he can hardly catch his breath but he can still manage to say ‘Thank you’”. So for one last time, from Uncle Len, “Thank You”. Tribute to Uncle Len - Linda Carson Uncle Len never married or had kids of his own…. What he had was an abundance of love, patience and understanding to give 17 nieces and nephews, that over the years grew to 58. At this stage and time of my life, I believe that he was a great teacher and inspiration to all of us. So, with the letters that spell his name, I’ll try to express some of the special and meaningful qualities I feel he lived by. Uncle Len Capital U - unconditional love - he always saw the very best in each and every one of us - he also understood the growing up process - and even in our “not so proudest” moments he always gave us his love and support. N - never ending patience - he always had the time to listen, …. that is, he always made the time to listen …… and I mean really listen to everything we had to say, which brings me to C - caring and sharing - what was important to Uncle Len wasn’t possessions but people, loved ones and loved creatures, including my parents dog, Lucky. L - lots of gratitude - I believe that this is the biggest life lesson he taught me. He loved life and he showed it by his appreciation and his wonderful hugs. His gratitude, I believe gave him his positive attitude and sunny disposition …… and the simple joys I saw him experience – one being nature. It never ceased to amaze him what god created. E - equality - Uncle Len believed in fairness and he wanted everyone to succeed. And with that came generosity - he loved to give, to help, to make a difference. And, his loved ones and his many charities can attest to that. Capital L - laughter - he loved to laugh and have fun. His face would light up a room and his eyes would sparkle. The best times I remember were his giggles - pure silliness, pure joy. E - endless passion for purpose in life - he took such pride in his work - his beloved farm, yard and garden to name a few. In the last few months, sweeping my mom’s floor and helping in any way gave him purpose. He never saw work as a heaviness, a chore. To me this was truly authentic power. N - He wouldn’t have been Uncle Len without nonsense - my favourite part. He was always up for it. And his ability to lighten the moment carried him to the end - it carried us all. We have been blessed. Life won’t be quite the same without him. But as we move forward in our lives, I believe we can carry the lessons he taught through his example in living and dignity in dying. Our lives have truly been enriched for knowing and loving him. God bless. Card of Thanks The family of the late Leonard Wolfe wish to thank the doctors, nurses and staff for the wonderful care given to Leonard during his stay in Edam Health Care Centre. Thank you to all who visited him; to Pastor Pat Ribey for her meaningful service, to organist Ruth McCaffrey, the choir, the pallbearers, for the eulogy given by Linda, Kathy and Dwayne; to the Edam AUCW for providing the lovely lunch; for donations, flowers, cards, visits and food brought to our homes ... your kindness will long be remembered. Thank you to McCaw Funeral Service for their assistance and excellent service given. Donations in memory of Leonard may be made to the Lady Minto Health Care Center, the Trinity United Church or to a charity of the donor's choice.