Donald Henry Lefebre

It is with great sadness we announce the passing of our father Donald (Don) Henry Lefebre of Victoria, BC, on August 30, 2015, in Leduc, AB at the age of 85 years. Don was born May 5, 1930 in Drumheller, AB, the son of Joseph and Maude (Winsor) Lefebre. He grew up in Drumheller with many cousins, aunts and uncles, having come from a large Dutch family. Many times he shared stories and happy and lively memories of his young life there. In the early 1950’s Don was one of the first male nurses to graduate from the the nursing program at the University of Alberta Hospital and he later graduated as a Psychiatric Nurse from the Provincial Mental Hospital at Ponoka, Alberta. In 1954 he met and married Lois Wheeler in Weyburn, SK and in 1955 they moved to Saskatoon where Don became the first head orderly at the new University Hospital. In 1962, he accepted the new position of Administrative Assistant to the Dean of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan, which was the first position of its kind in North America. He moved to the College of Education in 1977, and later retired from there after nearly 30 years of service to the University. Don loved his golf game and was a long-standing member of the Saskatoon Golf & Country Club. He also enjoyed travelling and made several trips to his “second home” in Holland to visit family there. In 1998 he decided to leave the cold winters behind, so he moved to Victoria, BC where he spent many happy years enjoying his walks along the ocean shoreline and the many rounds of golf with his good friend Dusty. Don was very proud of his three girls and their own accomplishments and families. Very special moments in his life were seeing his granddaughters Caroline and Krista married, as well as the thrill of the recent arrival of his first great-grandchild Henry Palmier. The look of awe, joy and love on Don’s face when he first met Henry is forever in our hearts. Don was predeceased by his parents Joe and Maude, his wife Lois, and his sister Dorothy Blumenschein. He is survived and remembered by his daughters Colleen (David) Lill of Leduc, AB, Kathy (Leland) Breedlove of Canby, OR and Joanne (Paul) Stevens of Langdon, AB; grandchildren Geoffrey Lill, Caroline (Steven) Palmier, Peter Breedlove, Joanna Breedlove, Toby Breedlove, Krista (Chris) Hancock, great-grandson Henry Palmier and several nieces and nephews. A celebration of Don’s life will be held near Calgary AB, at 2pm Saturday Sept 19th, at the home of Joanne (Lefebre) Stevens, 31 Anderson Ave, Langdon, AB. In lieu of flowers, memorial tributes would be gratefully accepted at the Victoria (BC) Hospitals Foundation, 1952 Bay Street, Victoria, BC V8R 1J8 – specifically the Royal Jubilee Hospital, in Don’s name.

Donald Henry Lefebre

May 5, 1930 - August 30, 2015