Lorne Cooley
Sep 22, 1939 – Jul 25, 2022
It is with great sadness that we say a final goodbye to Lorne Elliot Cooley, who passed away with his wife Carol and two of his sons, Michael and Steven, by his side.
Lorne was born in Cereal, Alberta, to Leonard and Eva Cooley, and raised in the nearby town of Chinook during the «Dirty Thirties». Later, the family, including two brothers and a sister, moved to Olds, Alberta,
to start a new business, where Lorne finished his high school years.
Moving to Calgary in the early 1950’s he found work in Bill Luxton’s garage before graduating from SAIT in 1958. Upon being immediately hired by Alberta Government Telephones he was sent to his dream location of Banff to begin his career as a telephone service technician, working throughout the entire Bow Valley, including Kananaskis and Morley. In 1963 Lorne married Carol Eliason from Bainbridge Island, Washington, and they returned to Banff where they raised a family, volunteered, and were of service to many elderly members of the community. One of the last projects of Lorne’s career was participating in the installation of a cutting edge fibre optic system in the Bow Valley in preparation for the 1988 Winter Olympics. He retired early from Telus in 1987 in order to focus on new adventures.
Following his retirement, Lorne and Carol bought an undeveloped acreage in the Columbia Valley, BC, and shared their dream of off-grid homesteading at «4 Achers», returning to Banff each fall. They built a large log cabin complete with a wood-burning stove and kerosene lamps, a root cellar, various outbuildings including a bathhouse with a wood-fired water heater for the claw foot cast iron bathtub, created a running water system from the creek, cleared land for gardens and an orchard, and lived off the land as much as possible. They readily shared their abundance with many friends in the Banff community who stopped by their ‘little slice of heaven’ over the years.
After 32 years spent living their dream, and deserving a well earned rest, they sold their beloved «4 Achers» in late 2020 and returned to live full-time in Banff.
Lorne is survived by his loving wife of 58 years Carol, sons David, Michael (Tina), and Steven (Sue), his grandchildren Kirk and Erika (Mike & Tina), as well as his sister Donna, brother Keith (Mildred), and nieces and nephews. Lorne was pre-deceased by his parents and his brother Ray (Pauline).
Many heartfelt thanks, hugs and appreciation to the nurses, doctors, and staff of Banff Mineral Springs Hospital who took such good care of Lorne during his many stays there in ‘Lorne’s Lounge’.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Banff Mineral Springs Hospital «In Memory of Lorne Cooley»
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Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Lorne Cooley Sep 22 1939 Jul 25 2022..
Décès pour la Ville: Banff, Province: Alberta