Obituary of Leslie Richardson Warden

Loving, lively and larger than life, Les Warden passed away at age 98 in Regina. He was lovingly cared for to the end by his wife Shirley, with whom he shared 72 cherished years.

Les leaves behind children Kathryn Warden (Peter Stoicheff), David Warden (Kelly), and Donna Friesen; grandchildren Sarah Warden (Ryan English), Skye McGinley (Mark), Rebecca Warden (Kyle Hamilton), Alixandra Stoicheff, Luke Friesen (Stacy), Rachel Warden (Ethan Palmer), and Christopher Stoicheff; and eight great-grandchildren: Ayla, Leah, Faryn, Quinn, Aidan, Finn, Sawyer, and Bridget. He is predeceased by his parents John Warden and Grace (Griffin), and his 11 brothers and sisters: Frances, John, Edward, Verna, Jean, Eva, Hughena, Boyd, Robert, Ralph, and Cecil.

Les was known for his personal warmth, his optimistic character, and his deep love of family and friends. He was always ready to chat with whomever he met: citing American actor Will Rogers he’d say, “I never met a man I didn’t like.” He took a keen interest in the lives of his children and their families, and provided unflagging support to them.

Les was raised during the Depression on the family homestead near Vulcan, Alta. Growing up in a musical household with many instruments and lots of singing, he developed a passion for music which he passed on to his children and grandchildren. He led the singing at the Regina Rotary Club into his 80s, delighted in the music at First Baptist Church in Regina, and continued to play the organ daily into his mid-90s.

On his 19^th birthday in 1942, Les joined the Canadian army, and as part of his officer training, was enrolled in a year-long program of mathematics and physics at University of Toronto’s Victoria College. Further officer training followed at Camp Borden north of Toronto. He retired in 1946 as first lieutenant, and returned to the farm.

He met the love of his life, home economics student Shirley (Wilson), while attending the University of Alberta. They were married in 1949. Les graduated with a bachelor’s degree in agriculture in 1950 and embarked on a national and international career in the farm implement business. While working with Massey Ferguson, he and Shirley raised their family in Lethbridge, Edmonton, Calgary, and Saskatoon, making many lifelong friends along the way.

In 1974, he joined J.I. Case and managed their operations in the northeastern U.S. from Syracuse, New York. In 1975, they moved back to Canada and Les managed Case’s eastern Canadian operations from Mississauga, Ont. In 1977, he was promoted to general manager of Case’s Canadian operations and vice-president of Case-IH, based in Regina, a position he had until retiring in 1986. He served on the boards of industry organizations such as the Agrologists Institute of Alberta and the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute.

Family and friends were everything to Les. He enjoyed many wonderful times at the family cottage at Gull Lake, Alta., at family holiday gatherings, on the golf course and by the pool in Regina, and on the tennis courts at Palm Desert during retirement. He was a great storyteller who loved to compose poems for people on special occasions and was proud to be able to recite entire Robert Service poems such as “The Cremation of Sam McGee” and “Bessie’s Boil.”

He had three pieces of advice for his grandchildren.  “If it is to be, it is up to me” was his way of urging them to take charge of their lives. “Do it now” signalled the importance of seizing the moment rather than waiting for an uncertain tomorrow. And “Leave a room better than you found it” referred not just to Army barracks standards of tidiness but to leaving any place in your life better than you found it.  With his humor, energy and tremendous zest for life, he left the world a better place, and his indomitable spirit will live on.

The family wishes to thank Dr. Iffat Muhammad and the Pasqua Hospital medical staff for their compassionate care.

Funeral Service will be held at First Baptist Church, 2241 Victoria Avenue, Regina, SK, on Saturday, November 20, 2021 at 2:30 p.m. The family respectfully requests that all in-person attendees be fully vaccinated. To livestream the service, visit: https://firstbaptistregina.ca/events/event/230pm-leslie-warden-funeral/

Donations in Les’s memory may be made to the Rotary Club of Regina: https://www.reginarotary.org/rotary-clubs