Jette's Room
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Leonard Joseph Grant
December 30, 1918 - August 27, 1999
My grandfather was born on the Canadian prairies, in Calgary, Alberta. He lived on a farm near Rosebud, Alberta until his family moved to North Vancouver, British Columbia.
In 1941, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force and served in England, Northern Ireland, and West Africa. He met my grandmother, Vera, while in England, and they were married on October 20, 1944. After my grandfather was discharged, he returned to North Vancouver. My grandmother was able to join him in Canada seven months later.
My grandparents raised 8 children together, 5 boys and 3 girls. They have 12 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren. Family was a very big part of my grandfather's life. When you have 8 kids plus spouses plus grandchildren, you tend to have very large family gatherings. Christmas Eve and my grandmother's birthday were especially important days. Everyone would come together to celebrate and you knew that you were loved. I remember family barbeques, carols, games, and laughter.
Even though my grandfather retired when I was little, I know he remained interested in his former company and was proud of the job he had done. 5 of his 8 children would go on to work for the same company, following in his footsteps.
Although I dislike smoking, tobacco smoke still brings back fond memories for me. My grandfather had a tobacco pipe, which he would smoke at his kitchen table while playing crib. The smell reminds me of him and how he loved to tease us grandchildren. He frequently called all of us kids "Stinky" and enjoyed kid-friendly jokes. He also enjoyed bowling and I often went to the bowling alley with my mother and him. I loved it so much that I even had a bowling birthday party once. I still bowl these days, although now it is ten pin instead of the five pin he preferred.
In 1999, an article on my grandparents appeared in the local paper, the North Shore News.