Leonard Louis Solomon, 83, of Saskatoon passed away at Royal University Hospital on Wednesday, May 27, 2020, from complications due to Parkinson’s Disease. The eldest child of Louis Solomon and Rose Varga, Leonard was born August 21, 1936 on a farm near Parkerview, SK. His early schooling was at Chiselhurst rural school. After living in Parkerview and Yorkton, the family moved to Dinsmore, where Leonard graduated high school in 1953 at age 16.
He began work as an itinerant agent-telegrapher for Canadian National Railways in June 1955, working throughout Saskatchewan and Alberta before obtaining a permanent post in Biggar in 1957. He enrolled at the University of Saskatchewan in the fall of 1958, graduating with a Bachelor of Education degree in June 1962. That same month, he married the love of his life, Mary Lou Wright, of Biggar. They had a daughter, Karen (“Kae”) in 1964, and a son, Keith, in 1968.
Len taught at White Bear, SK from 1962-1965, then moved to Saskatoon. In 1971 he earned his second degree, a Bachelor of Arts, with an Honour’s Certificate in English. He taught English at Aden Bowman (1965-1978), City Park (1978-1984), and Marion Graham (1984-1986). After a heart attack in 1982, and triple bypass surgery in the spring of 1986, ill health forced him to discontinue. He had a quadruple bypass in 1999.
Over the years many former students praised Len’s ability to “bring the story to life” in his reading of literature, and it was in this practice that he developed a love for the dramatic arts. His first acting role came in 1973, in the Gateway Players’ production of “There’s One in Every Marriage.” Other notable roles included the king in “Many Moons,” Tom Snout the Tinker in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” and Joseph in the Stage One Dinner Theatre production of “The Butterfingers Angel,” a performance he reprised for two subsequent seasons. He appeared in several commercials, and modelled with the Masala Talent Agency. His swan song as an actor came four years ago, when he took on the role of an elderly First World War veteran in the movie “The Invincible Sergeant Bill.”
Len was a huge Saskatchewan Roughriders fan. He enjoyed going to a game each August with his children, as well as watching televised games at home with Keith and Laureen. He often reminisced about players from bygone eras, and he felt keenly the team’s highs and many lows. In 1966, he repeatedly sneaked out of his own brother’s wedding to catch updates of the Grey Cup game on the car radio. The Riders’ second championship, in 1989, brought tears of joy.
He was an avid curler, skipping a rink for many years in the Grasswood (mixed) and Plus-50 men’s leagues. His retirement years rekindled an interest in telegraphy and the railroad, and he volunteered as a telegraph operator at the Western Development Museum. He also served as treasurer for the KN chapter of the Morse Telegraph Club. His volunteer work brought him many new friendships, especially amongst the “old timers” like himself who had once served as the backbone of the railway communications network.
Len loved to travel. He enjoyed camping trips to the mountains with his children, and vacations to Montana (summer) and Arizona (winter) with Mary Lou. Excursions to Newfoundland in 2016, and to the Maritimes in 2017, gave him a greater appreciation for the food, music, culture and hospitality of Canada’s Atlantic region. He and Mary Lou also enjoyed visiting Kae and family in BC each spring. Travel highlights with Kae included a trip to the Queen Charlotte Islands in 1988. A road trip to Texas and Louisiana with Keith in 2009 saw them seeking refuge overnight in a barn during a Kansas thunderstorm, and paying homage at the gravesite of Buddy Holly, one of Len’s musical heroes.
Leonard is survived by: Mary Lou, his wife of 57 years; daughter Karen “Kae” (Rob) of Coquitlam, BC; son Keith (Laureen) of Saskatoon; granddaughter Jaedyn Solomon-Graham of Coquitlam; sister Roseleen Istace of Calgary; sisters-in-law Jane Hill of Saskatoon, Kathy (Dave) Hawes of Biggar, and Margaret (George) Baldwin of Victoria; honorary grandchildren James Steele of Saskatoon and Desiree Steele Hutton of Regina; and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents, Louis Solomon and Rose Varga; an infant sister; brothers Edward and Robert; and niece Trina.
Thanks to the many health care providers who looked after Len during his recent stays in hospital, including two months in the convalescent unit at City Hospital earlier this year. An extra special thank you to CPAS, SHA and Meals on Wheels, and to the homecare workers, therapists, and volunteers whose combined efforts allowed Len to remain living at home.
A small memorial service for family will take place Monday, June 8. In lieu of flowers, charitable donations in Leonard’s name can be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, the Canadian Diabetes Association, or Parkinson Canada.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Leonard Louis Solomon 2020..
Death notice for the town of: Warman, Province: Saskatchewan