John Thomas Len passed away peacefully on Wednesday, June 20, 2012 in the palliative care unit of the Nanaimo General Hospital at the age of 80. John will be sadly missed by his wife of 49 years, Inge; their three children, Peter (Deborah), Ronald (Dana), Christine (James); his 5 grandchildren, Kara, Kody, Alaura, Rhys, and Dashiell; his brother Stanley (Joanna) and sisters Jennie (James) and Karoline (Norm); and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents, Stanley in 1970 and Louise (nee Walilko) in 2004; his brothers, Edward in 1932 and Walter in 1979 and his sisters, Eileen in 1979, Anne in 1996, and Stena in 2001. John Len was born in a farmhouse near Yorkton, SK, the fourth of nine children on January 10, 1932. He attended Windsor School and later Phonehill School. He farmed near Yorkton until 1956, when he moved to Hinton, AB to cut pulp at Camp One. There, he met and married Inge (nee Fischer) on November 17, 1962. In 1966, after the arrival of their daughter Christine, they returned to Yorkton with John's stepsons Peter and Ronald to take over the family farm. John was a very good farmer and took great pride in the harvest he nurtured every year. John grew grain crops and beef cattle and continued to farm well into his 70s. As their children got married and started having families of their own in BC, John and Ingeborg decided to leave the farm and in 2005 moved to Ladysmith, BC to be closer to family. John was an extremely generous man of few words, a tireless worker and a real gentleman who will be missed and remembered by all who knew him. John's Celebration of Life was held on Monday, June 25, 2012 in Ladysmith, BC. John was remembered in eulogy by his brother Stanley Len and in tribute by his stepson Ronald Lacroix. The special taped music selection was "Amazing Grace" by George Jones. The Cremation Committal followed on June 29, 2012 at the Cedar Valley Cemetery.
