Lee Sproule

We mourn the peaceful passing of Lee Sproule, who left us early on the morning of Sunday, February 25th, 2024, with family by her side.

A devoted wife, mother, and pillar of her community, Lee led a life rich with love, faith, and selfless service. Despite the hardships of attending a native residential school in her childhood, Lee's indomitable spirit shone through. Her courage and resilience allowed her to transcend and heal from the traumas she endured.

Her devotion to her family, her active involvement in the Catholic church and her community, and her varied pursuits, from being a member of the church council, working at the Exshaw School, hairdressing, to her participation in various community activities and charity work, are defining aspects of her legacy.

Born in Saskatchewan, Lee embarked on a new chapter of her life when she moved to Alberta with her husband, Barry. There, the couple embraced the joys of parenthood, warmly welcoming their three children.

Their first, Chris, entered the world in Edmonton during the time Barry taught in nearby Sherwood Park. The family tree grew with Melody's birth in Calgary, coinciding with their move to Exshaw/Seebe, where Barry took on a teaching role at the local Exshaw School. Shane, their youngest, was born amidst the natural splendor of Banff.

Lee and Barry shared a profound affection for the mountains, an affection that deeply influenced their choice to remain in Exshaw. Surrounded by the majestic Rockies, they found their forever home, cherishing a lifetime of memories in the serene embrace of the mountains they loved so dearly.

Lee Sproule cherished her role in the Exshaw’s St. Bernard’s Church choir, a testament to her deep love for music. Other than singing, in her younger years she embraced music by also playing guitar and composing some of her own songs. Her diverse talents further extended to hairstyling, a skill that she honed at hairdressing school, leading to her vocation as a hairdresser in Assiniboine, Saskatchewan. Alongside her dedication to hairstyling and music, she contributed her nurturing spirit to the health sector by cooking in a hospital. In the heart of her community, she was the custodian of the Exshaw Legion, maintaining its welcoming atmosphere. Additionally, her commitment to caring for and shaping young lives shone brightly in her roles as a playground supervisor and teacher's aide at Exshaw School, enriching her legacy of service and care.

Lee's parents, Walter and Caroline Okute LeCaine, were central to her life, as were her 9 brothers and sisters.

Lee is fondly remembered by family and friends, Lee's absence will be deeply felt. She leaves behind her three children: Chris, partnered with Terry, Melody, and Shane. They continue to honour her memory and find comfort as she now joins Barry, her husband who recently passed in November 2023.

December 28th, 2023 would have marked their 59th wedding anniversary, a quiet milestone of their long and loving commitment to each other.

A Funeral Liturgy Service (Catholic Prayer Service) will be held for Lee and Barry, on Tuesday March 5th at 12 noon, at The Shrine Church of Our Lady the Rockies, 2 Silvertip Trail, Canmore, AB T1W 1P4

Barry Sproule

February 7th, 1935 - November 3, 2023

It is with deep sadness that the family of Austin Barry Sproule announce his passing. Barry, as he was known to all, is survived by his wife of 58 years Lee and his children Chris (Terry), Melody and Shane. Barry was born in the farmhouse of the family homestead near Lafleche Saskatchewan on February 7th, 1935. Barry was the youngest of 10 children born to Fen and Agnes Sproule. He was predeceased by all of them.

Barry was educated in Saskatchewan and after obtaining his teaching degree, he began his career in SK in a one room school house and then Sherwood Park, AB. After that he and Lee moved to Exshaw where he taught until his retirement. Barry was an accomplished musician and entertained audiences across Southern Alberta and parts of BC with the Bow Corridor Four. His love of music remained with him throughout his life. Barry loved the outdoors and he had a great passion for fishing. He spent many of his happiest hours patiently waiting for the next bite all the while admiring the splendor of his surroundings. Barry had a keen and active mind and when he wasn’t reading, he could be found challenging crosswords or playing Scrabble with Lee.

Barry also had a strong sense of community and served on the board of the Exshaw Credit Union, the local recreation board and coached Little League Baseball. During his career as a teacher he also served as a delegate for the Alberta Teacher’s Association.

In his retirement Barry wanted to stay busy and be around people so he took on many endeavors. This included working with the Kananaskis Village maintenance crew, IGA in Canmore and later on became a Marshall at the Kananaskis Golf Course where his love of people could be indulged by the many golfers he met. This also provided Barry an opportunity to collect a large supply of lost golf balls which he happily handed out at family reunions.

The family would like to extend its warmest thanks to the homecare workers from FCSS Canmore, Dr. Mark Hawkins and our deepest gratitude to the staff at the Bethany Care Centre in Cochrane. The care and love they gave Barry helped he and the family navigate the tragedy of Alzheimer’s Disease and provided Barry a measure of dignity until his passing. Finally, a special thanks to the Exshaw community for watching over our dad.