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Lorne John Javens
September 17, 1929 - March 10, 2016
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<div itemprop="description">Lorne John Javens<br />September 17, 1929 &ndash; March 10, 2016<br /><br />It is with great sadness that the family of Lorne John Javens announce that he passed away on Thursday, March 10, 2016 just 40 days after losing his beloved wife Pearl.&nbsp;<br /><br />Lorne is survived by his step-son Mark McCook. He was pre-deceased by his step-son Eric McCook (Louise); and step-daughter Carol Van der Meer (Klaas). He is also survived by Pearl&rsquo;s niece, Darlene Gustafson (Wayne).<br /><br />Although he never had any children of his own, &ldquo;Grandpa Lorne&rdquo; made a big impression on the seven grandchildren; and seventeen great-grandchildren he also leaves behind.<br /><br />Lorne was born in the farming community of Rosetown, Saskatchewan in 1929. Lorne, was not meant for farm life, and he made his way to Calgary in the late 60&rsquo;s, While working as a bicycle mechanic at Eric&rsquo;s sporting good store, he met his future wife Pearl. They were married in 1971.<br /><br />Lorne, a confirmed bachelor, was thrown into the midst of an already existing and growing family. Two of his seven grandchildren had already been born, and over the next seven years, the remaining five would arrive. Lorne jumped wholeheartedly into his role as Grandpa, making a skating rink every year in the backyard of their Charleswood home. Whether it was playing backyard hockey, or simply pushing the grand kids around the rink on a kitchen chair, Lorne relished this family time.<br /><br />Always inventive, he would fashion toys from the scraps of wood he had in his backyard shop. He would create obstacle courses for the children to navigate through, and he made sure they were always entertained.<br />In the days before cable TV and Netflix, Lorne would put together slideshows (with real slides, not the computer generated ones), and Sunday evenings were often spent recalling memories captured in family photos.<br /><br />Lorne loved a good laugh, and you always knew when he found something funny. His laugh was loud, unique and contagious. When a good joke coaxed this laugh from him, it often caused others around him to join in. Lorne and Pearl tended to a beautiful garden filled with both flowers and vegetables. And while Pearl looked after most of the domestic chores, Lorne did his best to maintain the house.<br /><br />On many occasions, when people would come to visit, Lorne wouldn&rsquo;t be in the house. An inquiry would reveal that he was on the roof, heating tar in a hot plate so that he could repair a leak in the 30 year old tar and gravel roof. He was always trying to coax the most life out of any product, not believing that &ldquo;newer is better.&rdquo;<br />Growing up in Saskatchewan in the 30&rsquo;s and 40&rsquo;s had taught him the value of a dollar. Instead of buying something, he would try to create it out of what was around the house. For instance, instead of buying a &ldquo;club&rdquo; to protect his car from theft, he bolted a wire to the frame of the car, and then wrapped it around the steering wheel (which was then locked with a padlock). You might equate him to a poor mans &ldquo;MacGyver.&rdquo;<br /><br />He and Pearl cherished their three small dogs, Patti, Cindy and Puffy. They remained in their home until the summer of 2014, when they could no longer keep up with the demands it presented. That summer,&nbsp;Lorne and Pearl moved to Auburn Heights Retirement Home, where he lived until his passing. After surviving two heart attacks and a stroke, his heart finally gave out on him. No doubt it was also broken by the loss of Pearl, who had been his life partner for the past 45 years.<br /><br />Thank you to the caregivers, at Auburn Heights Retirement Residence, and doctors, nurses and staff who cared for Lorne in his final moments at the South Health Campus Hospital.<br /><br />The family plans a private celebration of life for both Lorne and Pearl in May. It was a time of year that they both loved, and it will be a joy to remember both of them together.&nbsp;<br /><br />To express condolences, please visit: www.mountainviewmemorial.ca. <br /></div>