April 19, 1916 – August 03, 2014
Leonard passed away peacefully on August 03, 2014 at Island View Place in Saanich, BC. He was born and grew up in North Vancouver before it became a huge city. During his early adult years, he worked on the steamships which sailed up and down the Inside Passage to Skagway and points north. He also worked for a few summers on the paddle wheelers on the Yukon River. With the War looming, he joined the RCAF, and was sent over to England as a bomber air frame mechanic. When he fell ill overseas, he met “a lovely lady and a stellar nurse”, Elizabeth (Betty) Pattinson, and in September, 1944 they were married.
Upon returning to Canada, they set up a home in North Vancouver, and Leonard went to work for Unemployment Insurance Canada. He eventually rose to the position of Regional Adjudicator, the only one in all of BC. After his retirement, they moved to Galiano Island, where together, they built a small house by hand and were self sufficient for many years.
On Leonard’s 80th birthday, they climbed Mt. Galiano on Galiano Island, said goodbye to the Island, and began a new life chapter in Sidney. Following some health issues just over a year ago, they moved to Island View Place, where they gained a whole new family.
Leonard had a wonderful, full life. He was a true gentleman with an irrepressible sense of humour. He loved the outdoors, walking and hiking late into his 80’s. Gardening and oil painting were hobbies at which he excelled, and he loved chocolate! He is survived by the love of his life and his wife of 70 years, Betty, and by his nieces and nephews Carol, Gary, Barry, Donna, Leanne, and Crystal. He was the last Sale of his generation, and with his passing, a whole page in the Sale family history book is turned. He will be missed.
The family wishes to thank the staff at Island View Place and Dr. Byrne for their compassion, care and great support over the past several months.