Obituary of Leonard Klyne

Leonard Klyne, born in Big River, the 10th child of Robert and Margaret Klyne passed away peacefully from the loving arms of his mother to the waiting arms of Jesus on Friday afternoon at St. Paul's Hospital in Saskatoon. Raised on his parents' farm east of Big River, Leonard attended 6 years at Winter Lake School and graduated from Big River High School. He planned to attend University to become a physical education teacher. His life and plans were abruptly changed in a tragic car accident on Sept.9, 1973 that left him physically disabled and claimed the life of his brother, Bobby. Leonard never married but spent his life on the farm with his mother. He was never heard to complain and was known for his twinkling "baby blue" eyes and sly sense of humor. Greatly devoted to family he patiently taught his nieces and nephews many life lessons. He was an avid sports fan with an endless fountain of trivial knowledge, a movie buff with a library of tapes rivaling the local rental outlet, and a faithful viewer of the Lone Star channel on his satellite dish. He loved animals and was generous to a fault, donating to wildlife associations and other charities including several Christian organizations. For Leonard, life was more than a dash between the dates, "he fought the good fight, he finished the race, and he kept the faith." Leonard will be remembered and sadly missed by his mother Margaret; siblings Eugene, Edward (Caryll), Franklin (Sherry), John (Carrie), Rita, David (Fran), Richard, and Linda (Leonard) Peterson; his sister in-law Lynn Klyne as well as numerous nieces and nephews, other relatives and friends. Leonard was predeceased by his dad Robert; brothers Melvin, Robert James, and infant Joseph and his sister in-law Inga. The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Friday September 1st, 2006 at 1:00 p.m. from Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church in Big River with Rev. Fr. Vincent Karatunga as the officiant. The Big River Community Choir, accompanied by organist Laura Wilson, sang the hymns Amazing Grace, On Eagle's Wings, What A Day That Will Be and Soon And Very Soon. The honorary pallbearers were all relatives and friends who shared in Leonard's life. Active pallbearers were Mervin Klyne, Sean Klyne, Ian Peterson, Andy Klyne, Lawrence Klyne, Ryan Klyne, Jeremy Batting and Rob Richard. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Christian Children's Fund of Canada 1027 McNicoll Avenue, Toronto, ON M1W 3X2 or Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church.