Leslie Ross Blatchford was born to Kathleen Mary Blatchford (née Lytle) and Ross Thomas Blatchford on October 13, 1942, in Toronto.
From the very beginning, the ever-curious and energetic Les proved to be a handful. His Mom mostly raised him on her own during the first three years of his life. Due to the Second World War, Les had to wait until 1945 before the first time he met his Dad, who had been serving overseas. Their family quickly made up for lost time. Both his parents and his little sister Christie, who arrived when he was 8.5 years old, had major impacts on the person Les would become.
He spent his formative childhood years in the Quebec mining town of Noranda, which today is known as Rouyn-Noranda. Les made the most of his time in the region as a kid, gathering wild blueberries by the basketful, hanging around the hockey rink managed by his dad, and turning everything into BB-gun target practice — until he one day shot a bird and refused to ever pick up his rifle again. Young Ross, as he was known, was also a key, bespectacled member of his football team’s formidable “Blind Backfield.” During those years, Christie gave her older sibling another nickname that stuck to him over the decades — SOB for, ahem, “slightly older brother.”
Les devoured books as a youngster and developed a passion for writing, which he sharpened throughout his life. Most recently, he used his periodic newsletter, “Random Musings,” as his outlet. He would use his bulletin to update family and friends on, as the title suggests, whatever happened to pop into his mind that day.
Even without a pen or a keyboard, Les was a gifted storyteller. He had a tendency, however, to captivate an audience with the substance of one of his tales before capping it off with a strikingly flat climax. (Well, at least his toughest critics would say.) But the yarns themselves — and expressive delivery complete with sound effects — were well worth the ride. One of those legends was his account of the time he was struck by lightning while working on a golf course in Noranda.
To add big-city chapters to his life, Les left the wilds of the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region as a young man, first to Toronto and later to Montreal in the mid-1960s. He never looked back. Les worked numerous jobs —as a lifeguard, a coin-operated laundry machine salesman, and a taxi driver.
For a period, he lived on Delmar Avenue in suburban Pointe-Claire. A young woman named Marilyn Isabel Dunlop also called the same street home. But they would only meet two years later, in 1968, thanks to a cutting-edge technology that would transform their lives: computer dating.
The machine introduced lucky Les to Marilyn. She was the love of his life, his soulmate.
He wasted no time earning the approval of his future in-laws. During his first visit to the home of Marilyn’s folks, Robert Forrest and Laura Eleanor Dunlop, the family television caught fire. Les heroically — at least the way he told it — dragged the flaming device into a snowbank to save the day. Les and Marilyn married in 1969.
The happy couple loved to travel, especially when they could share their journeys with family and friends. Their adventures took them to the canals of France and Panama, throughout the Caribbean, South America, and Hawaii. But Mexico — and especially the Puerto Vallarta region — had a special place in their hearts. They returned to the area numerous times over the decades, often with their closest friends. Les, of course, could never get enough of the beach and the sun.
Closer to home, the North American wilderness also meant so much to Les. He was an avid camper and paddler who loved to unplug in the mists of the Adirondacks.
It wasn’t all play for Les, who had a long, successful career in real estate, where he built a reputation as a strong negotiator. For many years, he also owned and operated his own company. His profession enabled him to forge many friendships over the years.
He always enjoyed life’s simple pleasures — reading the Montreal Gazette every morning, watching sports or military history shows on TV, and, of course, walking his beloved golden retriever Misha, which gave him a side benefit of chatting with neighbours.
Les died suddenly on June 19 at home about an hour after celebrating a wonderful Father’s Day with family. He was 79.
He has left behind many loved ones — and most importantly his treasured Marilyn, his wife of 53 years. He is already deeply missed by his children, Lori (Jean-François) and Andrew (Gulnaz). Les was always a gentle, kind Grandpa to Catriona (Henry), Alexia (Sean), Sydney, and Dias. His cherished in-laws, Amy, Joan, and Gerry, as well as his six nieces and nephews, were always close to his heart. Les also leaves behind many dear friends — including at least one special pal from as far back as Grade 2.
Please join us as we remember a fun-loving, generous, and gentle soul on June 30 at the Baie-de-Valois Chalet, 90 Lakeshore Drive, Pointe-Claire, Quebec. Les’ loved ones will gather between 3 and 5 p.m. and again between 6 and 8 p.m. For more information, please feel free to contact Lori at 514-991-1905 or Andrew at 343-777-6299.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Open Your Heart MUHC Foundation Cardiology Fund: www.cardiomuhc.ca/donate
2022
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Blatchford Leslie 2022..
Décès pour la Ville: Montréal, Province: Quebec