April 8, 1931-July 24, 2023

We are heartbroken to announce the passing of Barbara Eileen LeDuc (née Jackson) on July 24, 2023, at Kelowna General Hospital.

Barbara (Barb) was born in Kelowna to Oliver and Eileen Jackson (née Claxton) on April 8, 1931.
She was the second of three children. Her brother, John, was born in 1929 and died in 1956.
Her sister, Sheila, was born in 1933 and lives in Armstrong. Barb’s thriftiness was no doubt
shaped by her early life in the Great Depression and World War II.

After the war, the family lived for many years on their farm on Hall Road in East Kelowna. Oliver
and Eileen were a creative and resourceful couple who once travelled from Kelowna to Quesnel
in a horse-drawn wagon, and who knitted Cowichan-style sweaters for income during the
Depression. Barb inherited their aptitude for arts, crafts and cultivation, and loved to draw,
paint with watercolours, sew, knit and garden.

Barb was an adventurous and intrepid young woman. She hiked and camped as a member of
the Outdoors Club. In 1951, when she was 20, Barb rode her 1-speed Raleigh bicycle from
Kelowna to Banff with a girlfriend (taking the train from Sicamous to Field, as there was no
Trans-Canada Highway), and visited the Calgary Stampede. When she was 23, Barb travelled
with Sheila by train and ship across the Atlantic for a three-month tour of England, Ireland and
parts of Europe.

Much to the chagrin of her mother, Barb left the family nest in Kelowna and moved to
Kamloops. She enjoyed her time “batching it” with her roommates and working as a
stenographer for several BC government agencies including Welfare, the Grazing Office and
finally Forestry, where she met her husband, Burt LeDuc. They married in 1958 and had their
first child, Catherine (Pat) in 1959, followed by Karen (Keith), Morris “Bud” and Heather
(Mario). The kids always had beautifully knitted sweaters to wear on adventures like catching
tadpoles in Peterson Creek.

In 1968, the family moved from their tiny three-plex on Pleasant Street to their new house on
Todd Hill Crescent in Dallas. Barb planted and cared for several flower beds and a huge
vegetable garden, which fed the family for many years. The family was joined by a cat named
Tootsie and a dog named Mr. Pup. Barb and Burt lived in the house for almost 50 years and
greatly enjoyed the friendship of their neighbours. They frequently dined at Denny’s where
they were doted on by the kind-hearted servers. Barb joined the congregation of St. Peter’s
Church in Monte Creek, made many lifelong friends and served in many capacities of the Ladies’
Guild over the years.

Over time, Barb and Burt were blessed with three granddaughters: Alicia (Dave), Jacqueline
(Matt) and Robyn (Drew). Great-grandkids include Greysen and Chase, Jackie and Matt’s boys,
and Sebby and Ramona, Robyn and Drew’s children.

In 2016, Barb and Burt moved into Berwick on the Park in Kamloops. Barb was much loved by
the staff and the group of “girls” who befriended her and shared meals with her. She was
predeceased by Burt in 2017, after nearly 58 years of marriage.

In March, 2023, Barb moved into her newly-renovated room at Bud’s house in Vernon. In her
chair by the window, Barb enjoyed puttering at jigsaw puzzles and watching the birds. She was
always up for a Scrabble challenge both at Berwick and at Bud’s.

Barb will be remembered for her big blue eyes (inherited from her Irish mother) and beautiful
smile, her kooky sense of humour, her amazing macaroni and cheese, and her love for her
family and friends. Barb was quiet and unassuming but made a huge impression on all those
who knew her.

Barb’s family would like to acknowledge the kindness and compassion of all those who cared
for her over the years, including Dr. McLaren, the staff of Berwick on the Park and Ponderosa
Lodge in Kamloops, and the doctors and nurses at Royal Inland Hospital, Vernon Jubilee
Hospital and Kelowna General Hospital.

Friends and family are invited to an morning of remembrance for Barb on August 26, 2023
starting with a service at the St. Peter’s Church in Monte Creek at 11 am, followed by lunch in
the church hall.

 

Funeral Arrangements have been entrusted to Pleasant Valley Funeral Home,

Phone: 250-542-4333

Condolences may be offered at www.pleasantvalleyfh.com