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Whom the gods love dies young. - Menander (342 - 292 BC)

Most of the following obituaries for those who were students in the Classes of 1975, 1976, and 1977 have been gathered by Sid Nieuwenhuis (1975) by talking to the parents, siblings, and close friends of the deceased. To each person who contributed a story of a son or daughter, or brother or sister, or close friend, Sid would like to thank you, on behalf of all of us. We hope that your heart is made lighter by seeing that we, the classmates and teachers of the person you continue to love, wish to remember that person as one of us.

You will note that Sid has not been able to contact all the families. If you know how to get in touch with the family of a classmate whose obituary should be included or if you have a memory you'd like to share, please get in touch with the Website Editor.

Some, but not all, of the thumbnail images below are links to larger images. On those, you need just click on the thumbnail to see a larger image.

1972

Kevin Bruce Snyder
November 15, 1954 - August 10, 1995

Kevin, born in Calgary on November 15, 1954, passed away in an accident on August 10, 1995. Kevin was a member of the International Union of Elevator Constructors for sixteen years and worked for Elcor Elevator Company.

Submitted by Sue Hyde, a friend.

1974

Hal Rushworth
March 29, 1956 - May 18th, 1989

Rushworth. Most every student at Viscount knew who he was. He had that much presence. This is some of who he was.

Hal was the epitome of cool. Larger than life. Intelligent. Perhaps too much so. A major wise ass not particularly fond of following others' rules. Being too clever has its disadvantages. At Viscount (and earlier at A.E. Cross) Hal found that he could do pretty much everything effortlessly. Consequently, he was often bored at and with school, always searching for a new challenge to explore.

Hal was a member of the Senior Football Team, partied plenty, frequently helped his friends with their homework and writing assignments and on principle refused to smile for official school photographs. He seemed to know exactly who he was.

Hal and I became friends in grade 12 when we were both in Mr. Dustin's geography class. And we kept in touch for many years after. Regularly at first, then less so. The last time I saw Hal was on Christmas Eve, 1987. He horsed around on my living room floor with my black lab, Annie, and then gave me a ride to my parents' home, coming in, wishing my Mom a Merry Christmas. Then he was gone.

This is how I remember Hal: A low, raspy voice and gravelly laugh. Funny. Really funny. Hal was drawn to study psychology and philosophy, intensely interested in what people thought and what made them who they are. Conversations with Rushworth might last for hours.

Hal was a Jazz aficionado and a member of the Jazz Calgary Society. The serendipity and emotion of Jazz, its improvisational and contemplative nature, complemented his sense of self.

Hal could live life at full tilt but he also had his gentle side. He loved his dogs and his nephew Bradley, playing with them. The delight of letting himself go. And he adored his Grandfather, regularly visiting him, with his Mom, at the Colonel Belcher. After these visits, Hal would drive his Mom home and make her lunch or dinner.

He found pleasure in cooking. Mrs. Rushworth recalls that it was Hal who taught her how to make an omelette. As time went on he became a gourmet cook, preparing elaborate meals for family and friends. Lobster feasts and stuffed cornish game hens were two of his specialties.

Hal was a loving, devoted and attentive son.

Jazz musician Thelonious Monk once said, "A genius is someone who is most like himself." Hal was most like himself.

Hal Rushworth died May 18th, 1989. He was 33 years old and too soon gone.

Submitted by Judy Szonyi

1975

Patricia Elaine Andrews
October 26, 1957 - April 13, 1984

After high school Pat continued to expand her horizons in the arts. Her passion for painting and abstract art design led her to the Bachelor of Fine Arts program at the Alberta College of Arts. Her work was displayed at showings around Calgary as she struggled to break new ground on her budding artistic flare for the abstract. During that time she held various jobs doing graphic design and illustration work for large corporate clients.

Pat was always focussed on the arts and decided to further her educational credentials by going full-time to the University of Lethbridge. She enrolled in a Bachelor of Education program with the ultimate goal of teaching the arts to young minds. Unfortunately, her sudden death from a perforated ulcer took her away from family and friends before she could finish this next step in her young life.

Pat was twenty-six years old, single, and had finished two years of university at the time of her death. Her joy of life, passion for the arts, and zest for enjoying the natural world will be sadly missed.

Submitted by Tom Andrews, Patricia's brother.

Lori Gaye Crowder
June 23, 1957 - February 12, 1994

Lori lived a short, but productive life. She married at age 18 to Rocky Hillman with whom she had three children -- Tommy (23), son Shannon (18), and Brandy (15). She also had another daughter after she divorced her husband; her name is Amber (11).

Lori liked to party and live life to its fullest. She was a thoughtful, caring person. She would do anything for anyone, even if it meant she would do without. Just before she was killed she had completed a business course with the Career College. She was trying to make a better life for her and her children. She did receive her diploma, but unfortunately never did have the joy of knowing she had accomplished something so important in her life.

She is dearly missed by all her family, especially her warm smile, hearty laugh, and her loving ways. We only pray now that she is with God and at peace at last.

Submitted by Candy Thom (sister) and Ruth Crowder (mother), in loving memory

Thomas Richard Insinger
June 7, 1957 - August 6, 1974

Tom was a quiet young man, though he was quick to both laugh and to smile. He had an endearing grin.

Tom loved sports. He was on the Viscount Bennett football team but his great love was wrestling. During wrestling season he was always trying to keep his weight down so he didn't have to wrestle in the heavier weight classes. He was strong for his size but it was his quickness and finesse that made him such a winner. In fact, the year before his death, he became the provincial champion.

Tom wanted to become a dentist but this was not to happen. He was killed in the summer of 1974 in an industrial accident, while painting grain elevators for the Alberta Wheat Pool. His family never got to see Tom grow into the man he could have been or to get married and raise a family of his own.

He is gone but never forgotten and is still sadly missed by family and friends.

Submitted by Tom's loving sister, Sue

Jack Jessop

Mr. Jessop (Jack's father) has been contacted, but does not wish to discuss Jack's death in this forum.

Robert Lee Lamont
January 24, 1958 - April 16, 1980

Lee lived in the Glenbrook community most of his life. He attended Glenbrook Elementary, A.E. Cross Jr. High, and Viscount Bennett High School. He attended Cubs, Scouts, and Sunday School at the Westminster United Church. When he was in his early teens he also assisted teaching a Sunday School class.

Lee was always interested in sports. He played baseball and hockey with the community teams and basketball and curling with classes at Viscount Bennett. He was also an avid bowler at Mountain View Lanes in Glamorgan. His team won the Alberta championship and a trip to the Canadian finals in Sudbury, Ontario.

Following his high school graduation, Lee and a few of his friends applied for and were accepted by Royal Roads Military Academy in Victoria, B.C. in 1975. In 1977 he transferred to the Royal Military College (RMC) in Kingston, Ontario. During his time at RMC he played on the rugby and curling teams and travelled to England for competition. Lee graduated from RMC in 1979 as an electrical engineer and then commenced flying training at CFB Moose Jaw in September 1979. He was highly thought of by his instructors and fellow course members.

The Lamont's house on Glenpatrick Drive was always full of Lee's many friends, right through his college years. The Lamont family never knew who they would find sleeping on the basement floor in the morning. Their home became a "stopping off" point for Lee's friends who were travelling across Canada to attend college or training exercises.

Lee was killed in April, 1980 when his Tutor Jet crashed during a routine solo mission near Coderre, Saskatchewan.

Submitted by Lee's mother, Mrs. Moira Wagenaar

I was a classmate of Lee's both at Royal Roads (military college in Victoria, B.C.) and at Royal Military College (Kingston, Ontario) and also played rugby with him. More importantly, I was in Moose Jaw with Lee when he died. We were course mates on Course 7904 for pilot training.

I remember the day Lee crashed like yesterday. It was a Friday in the early spring. Lee was on his first low level solo flight and it was the last scheduled flight of the day. He completed his mission and was overflying the final "target". From the accident investigation, it appears as if he commenced a slow right hand turn after flying over this target, which was the foundation of an old barn. The land rose gently after the target. During this right hand turn it is believed that a battery malfunction light in the lower left of the cockpit lit up. This happened on a regular basis in the Tutor CT 114 and usually meant nothing. The accident reconstructors believed that this light might have distracted Lee and he failed to notice the rising land after the target. He impacted just seconds later.

His funeral was held in Calgary later the next week. It was a closed casket affair for obvious reasons and his remains were later cremated. The saddest part of this occurrence was that, on the Thursday prior to his death, Lee confided with his friends that after his solo flight on Friday he was going to ask his long time girlfriend to marry him. He never had the chance. His death caused a lot of us much grief. He was known as a cautious straight shooter with a terrific sense of humour. He was and still is missed greatly.

Submitted by Dr. Al Stewart, Associate Professor and Head Civil Engineering, Royal Military College

Brent LeMere

Unable to locate family members or friends.

Nora Jean Little
March 4, 1958 - February 1, 1994

Nora moved from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia to Calgary with her family in 1969 and attended A.E. Cross Jr. High and Viscount Bennett High schools. She then went to SAIT and earned a Dietary Technology Diploma.

After graduation, Nora worked in Wetaskiwin, AB and Dauphin, MB as a Dietary Technologist. She returned to Calgary where she worked for the City of Calgary in the Motor Vehicles Department.

Nora loved to travel and visited such places as England, Singapore, Indonesia, Tahiti, Australia, and parts of the US and Canada. She had a quick wit, a friendly smile and found joy in all she did and all those she knew and met.

In 1988, Nora married Gerald Ritchie and moved to Edmonton where she worked for the police department at the City of Edmonton before her two children were born. Wyatt is now 11 and Emma is 8. In 1993 they moved to Vancouver Island.

Shortly afterward, Nora was diagnosed with cancer. She rarely complained. When asked if she ever wondered why this was happening to her she calmly replied, "Why not me? I'm no different than anyone else." Her bravery, strength, and calm acceptance of life are part of the cherished memories she left for us. Her bright eyes and ready smile are on the faces of her children.

Submitted by her loving family

Jordan Lindsay Rutherford
June 28, 1957 - April 19, 1993

At Viscount Bennett Jordan found himself. Fully challenged, he strived to qualify for University and was successful. At that age Jordan had two loves, music and sports. He chose the former as his pre-occupation. Sports would follow later.

Jordan pursued music even after leaving Viscount Bennett. He competed successfully at Kinsmen Music Festivals and found great pleasure singing for the Calgary Opera Society in performances at the Jubilee Auditorium.

His years at Viscount were a highlight of his life and a source of many fond memories. They may have been his happiest ever. A favorite teacher? Miss Perkins. No educator could ever have been more dearly loved.

Jordan set his sights on a Bachelor of Commerce degree and had a short career with Dome Petroleum. He then returned to University and earned a Bachelor of Education. He taught Grade One until his illness. He inspired many children.

Marg and I had long regarded Jordan as an exceptional individual without ever suspecting just how extra-ordinary he was. Our son had a proclivity to homosexuality. He chose to deal with it privately and we did not learn of it until he was 32 years old. What a brave and caring thing.

Jordan was co-organizer of Project Pride serving as a Director in 1988-89. He also belonged to Apollo Friends in Sports and competed against his friends in volleyball, bowling, curling and softball.

He dedicated himself to the development of self-esteem and personal dignity of all Gays and never relented. His compassion for people extended far beyond the Gay Community as illustrated by his years with AIDS Calgary's Speaker Group spreading AIDS Awareness among Calgary's children and youth. He was also otherwise involved in giving comfort to his peers.

Submitted by Bill and Margaret Rutherford

William (Bill) Howard Sutton
December 13, 1957 - February 13, 1995

Bill attended Killarney Elementary, A.E. Cross Jr. and Viscount Bennett High schools. Bill gained some very special friendships during his Junior and Senior high school years that lasted for his lifetime. He then went to SAIT to study electronics, and this became his work career in sound and security systems.

Bill and Gail were married in 1986. Brandi-Lynn and Spencer, now ages 17 and 10 are their children.

He enjoyed many sports, with hockey, camping and fishing being his favorites.

The essence of this man who made such a significant impact on family and friends lives on in our hearts. Feel assured his spirit will be part of the gathering for the 25th reunion of the class of 1975.

Submitted by Howard and Betty Sutton and families.

Susan Annette Wagenaar
June 6, 1957 - May 18, 1997

After Susan graduated from Viscount Bennett High School she moved to Estevan, Saskatchewan with her boyfriend Jack Wallace. She stayed there for a few years and returned home for a brief period before moving to Meritt, B.C. where she worked on a cattle ranch with Jack. Later, she moved to Princeton, B.C. and married Jack during that time. However, her marriage did not last and she moved back to Calgary and stayed with her sisters for a few years. She landed a job as a 7-Eleven clerk and was soon promoted to the position of assistant manager.

She then moved to Medicine Hat for about ten years, after which she returned to Calgary and got a job working at Forest Lawn Safeway. She was well-liked and respected. Susan really enjoyed her job at Safeway, especially helping the elderly people with loading their groceries to the bus stop or across the street. She was always willing to help or go the extra mile and for that she was nominated for the Calgary White Hatters award in 1996.

Susan was scuba diving at a local dive site near Victoria, B.C. when she died suddenly of an air embolism. She died doing something she loved.

Susan was very friendly and had a smile for anyone. She would also help anyone. The thing that stands out in our mind about Susan is that she always had a heart for the less fortunate. We also fondly remember her lovely smile and heartfelt friendliness.

Submitted by her loving family members.

1976

Garth Preston Brierley
February 16, 1957 - October 10, 1995

Once Garth graduated from Viscount Bennett High School, he was able to fulfill his life-long dream by purchasing his own "big rig". Garth worked in the trucking industry as a long haul trucker for over 20 years. At the time of his death, Garth was survived by his wife Brenda and children Jennifer and Michael.

Submitted by the Brierley family

Jim Cole

Family member has been contacted and a submission is forthcoming.

Joel Aaron Brodsky
December 23, 1958 - February 25, 1999

After graduating from Viscount Bennett High School, Joel spent the summer in Israel with a young B'nai B'rith group, touring and working on a kibbutz.

Joel spent one year at the University of Calgary in sciences and then went to the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. Originally he wanted to be a veterinarian, but said there were so many choices. He loved animals and he loved to cook. He went into Agriculture with a major in Food Sciences. He got his BA and then his M.Sc.

When he graduated he took six months off, travelling to Los Angeles, Australia, China, Japan, and Thailand and ended up in Israel, again working with livestock on a kibbutz.

Before Joel went travelling, he met his beloved Jacquie and she became his wife in 1986. Joel and Jacquie were transferred to Regina and spent some years there. They then moved to London, Ontario, where Joel went to Western University and got his MBA. They bought an old schoolhouse in the country about 20 minutes from the city. Joel was an environmentalist and he and Jacquie had a wonderful life working in the city and living in the country.

Joel became ill in October of 1997. He had a brain tumor and had major surgery twice, but he got progressively worse.

Jacquie organized a wonderful 40th birthday party for him with many of his community friends and his MBA colleagues. I was fortunate, as his mother, to be able to stay with him for most of the months when he was so ill. Joel passed away at home with his loving wife, mother, and some of his siblings. He was brought home, to Calgary, to be buried.

Joel was a very sensitive, gentle person. He was loved by all who met him.

Submitted by Anne Brodsky, Joel's mother, with love

1977

(Reverend) Gregg Duane Bamford
December 20, 1959 - August 18, 1999

After graduating in 1977 Gregg moved to Camrose where be became an ambulance attendant. He moved to Edmonton in 1980 to attend NAIT. He received his EMT-Paramedic diploma in 1986. Gregg loved being a paramedic, but after injuring his back in a car accident he was no longer able to do the heavy lifting the job required. He became the Coordinator of the Employee Wellness program for the city of Edmonton where he was able to provide counseling services to his fellow paramedics, among many others. As well as working full-time he had been pursuing his Bachelor of Theology which he received with honors in 1992. He became a member of the clergy in 1993. Gregg was the Chaplain for the Edmonton Ambulance Service and played a fundamental role in setting up the Critical Incident Stress Management Society of Edmonton.

Gregg died in an accident on his acreage in Sherwood Park (Alta) on August 18, 1999. He is dearly missed by all of us whose lives he touched.

Submitted by Carol Bamford, Gregg's sister

Gregg Douglas Brierley
December 3, 1959 - October 7, 1989

Upon graduating from Viscount Bennett, Greg entered the faculty of Science at the University of Calgary. Gregg transferred to the University of Guelph in order to pursue his love of athletics and fitness. He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree specializing in kinesiology and moved to Toronto where he worked with Handicap Services until his death in 1989.

Submitted by the Brierley family