MASH
Leonard George
June 15, 1925- Oct. 23, 2010
It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Len on October 23, 2010 at the Red Deer Regional Hospital at the age of 85. Len was born in Waharoa, New Zealand and came to Canada with his family in 1930. The family settled in Olds, Alberta, where his father worked at the Agriculture Farm and had a small dairy farm of his own. In 1935, the family moved to Edmonton where Len attended Spruce Avenue and Eastwood schools. He had many summer jobs, and many experiences. His favorite was working for the Hudson Bay Company as a deck hand aboard the boat Hearne Lake, which traveled down the MacKenzie River to Aklavik, Northwest Territories. He joined the Canadian Navy in 1943, but was transferred to the Royal Navy and stationed in Scotland. He spent some time on two cruisers, the H.M.S. Nigeria and the H.M.S. Jamaica, with the Home Fleet at Scapa Flow, and participated in convoys up the Norwegian coast to Murmansk, Russia. In 1944, he was transferred back to the Canadian Navy and sent to Belfast, Ireland to join the cruiser H.M.C.S. Ontario. It was aboard the Ontario that Len and his crew-mates helped keep order in Hong Kong after the Japanese surrendered. After the war, Len worked for Halliburton Oil Well Cementing Company for 38 years. In 1953, he married Marjorie Paulgaard, and they had three daughters. Len enjoyed hunting and fishing in the Mountain Park/Cadomin area, hockey, and politics. He had a keen interest in agriculture and had a small cattle farm near Rocky Mountain House. Together, they travelled extensively, visiting many places in North America, Europe, New Zealand, and Australia. Len is survived by his devoted wife, Marjorie, three daughters, Pat, Peggy (Randy) Noren, and Carol (Allan) Williams, two grandchildren, Geoff and Lindsay (Mike) Szewczuk, sister Jean Vandenberg, numerous other relatives,and countless friends. He was predeceased by his parents Ben and Anne Mash, his brother Jack and his sister Connie Sommers. A family graveside service will be held on October 28, 2010 at 1:00 p.m. in Daysland, Alberta. A memorial service will be held at Parkland Funeral Home and Crematorium 6287 - 67A Street, Red Deer, Alberta, on Friday, October 29, 2010 at 1:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Heart and Stroke Foundation or the Salvation Army are encouraged. Condolences may be viewed at:
www.parklandfuneralhome.com
Arrangements in care of Dustin Goddu at Parkland Funeral Home and Crematorium, 6287 - 67 A Street (Taylor Drive), Red Deer. 403.340.4040