Leonard Burt Kirkeby

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Leonard “Len” Burt Kirkeby of Edson, Alberta, on May 10th, 2024, at the age of 70, at the Edson Health Care Centre, after a 7-year battel with Huntingtons.  

Len was born in Drumheller, Alberta, on April 7th 1954. He was the second oldest of 10 kids. He spent his early years growing up in Drumheller until his family made the big move to Grande Cache, Alberta. Eventually he moved back to Drumheller as that is where he always considered his home to be. At the age of 19 he enlisted in the Armed Forces and became a member of the military police for just over a year. When he returned to Drumheller he worked as a guard at the Drumheller Federal Penitentiary. During this time, he met the love of his life Alice (Pugh), whom, after a short courtship, he married on June 28th, 1975, in Drumheller. They spent 49 blissful years together. From this union they had three children, Dean, Brandy and Amy. Len eventually left the Penitentiary to begin his career as a Power Engineer operating for Gulf.  In 1982 Len and his family transferred to Edson, Alberta, where Len built his family a new home that they lived in for 10 years until they moved onto their acreage.  Len started working at the Hanlan Robb gas plant when they moved to Edson, where he eventually became a chief Operator and he worked there until he retired in 2013 at the age of 59.

When Len retired, he bought himself a new fishing boat. As an avid outdoorsman, holidays for Len usually meant camping, fishing and hunting with family and friends. Len enjoyed one last moose hunt with his son Dean and granddaughter Bailey in November of 2023. He was very excited about the trip and stated that he was going to hunt until he was 80! He was up every morning eager to go and they were successful in taking what they dubbed their “family” moose. Anyone who knew Len knew he was all about family.

Len was predeceased by his daughter Amy and granddaughter Rae in 2022, parents Jim and Joyce Kirkeby, brothers Dwayne, Brent and sister Dana. Len leaves to mourn his beloved wife Alice, son Dean (Clare) and their daughters Bryn, Bailey and Brooke; daughter Brandy Kozak (Lance) and their children Paige, Owen and Courtney Dubie (Austin) with great grandsons Emerson and Bryer;  his son-in-law Denis Lapointe (Amy) with their son Ryan. He also leaves to mourn brothers Dale, Perry and Burke and sisters Lynn, Kim and Karen, many in-laws as well as many nieces and nephews.

Len will return to the valley of his birth and will be laid to rest in the Drumheller Cemetery.

Memorial contributions can be made to:Huntington Society of Canada , 20 Erb St. W, Suite 801, Waterloo, ON N2L 1T2, info@huntingtonsociety.ca

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