Obituary for Ronald Jacob Bruce Harder

In 1953, he moved to Dundurn, Sask., living on a farm with his Uncle Jeff and Aunt Mim, and became the youngest in Saskatchewan to obtain his electrician’s ticket at the age of 18. He then moved to the Okanagan, wiring towns and building churches with his father. At the age of 23 he got a job as an electrician at the pulp and paper mill in Ocean Falls, B.C.

He then moved to work at the Banff Springs Hotel for two seasons before getting a job on the DEW (Distant Early Warning) Line in the Canadian Arctic. He greatly enjoyed his time in the Arctic amongst the polar bears and vast tundra.

After five years he moved to Alberta and became an electrician at the Chateau Lake Louise. It was there he met Beatrice Lemire, who was a switchboard operator at the Chateau. Ron and Beatrice married in Calgary in 1968 and in 1970 moved to Pincher Creek to begin work at the Shell Waterton gas plant. He worked there for 25 years, retiring in 1995.

He spent many summers at their cabin on Wasa Lake, B.C., and then moved to Red Deer in 2018 to the Timberstone Mews, where they made many great friendships with the residents and joined the Deer Park Alliance Church.

Ron always enjoyed a game of cribbage and doing puzzles, and had a great interest in trains. He was able to fix and repair anything, whether it be electrical, plumbing or carpentry.

He always enjoyed watching his sons in their various sports and was always supportive in all of their activities. His kind and gentle nature will be greatly missed.

He was predeceased by his parents, Jacob and Josephine; siblings Pearl, Dorothy, Ethel, Hazel and Harold; and is survived by siblings Shirley, Velma, Emelie, Joy and George; also survived by many nieces and nephews. He is survived by his wife, Beatrice; sons Ron Jr. (Dianne) and Russell (Tara); and grandsons Boughen and Jet.

A formal service will be held later in the year once physical distancing regulations have been lifted. In lieu of flowers, donations would be gratefully accepted by the Red Deer Hospice Society as the family greatly appreciated the compassion and care provided.