Jim Leaderhouse
Posted May 10, 2017 | 10:20 PM
Jimmie Frank Leaderhouse
It is with incomprehensible sadness that the family of Jim Leaderhouse announce his sudden passing on Wednesday, May 10, at his home in Prince Albert.
Jim was born on October 14, 1938, in Prince Albert, the oldest of three children to Frank and Bella (Hyndman) Leaderhouse. With his father being a railroad employee they were often on the move with Jim spending his early years in Parkside before moving to Davis and then finally settling back in Prince Albert.
Jim took his schooling in all three of those locations leaving before he could graduate so that he could begin what would be a 40-plus year working career. That career began with a job with the railroad and while part of a work crew in the Humboldt area he met the love of his life Isabel (Maier).
Jim and Isabel married 1959 and they made Prince Albert their home with Jim taking on a job at the Burns Meat packing plant. Less than two years after they were married the family doubled in size with the arrival of twin sons Doug and Dave. A daughter Theresa would join them two years later, but unfortunately passed away in infancy.
When Burns closed down in 1975, Jim made a move to the Prince Albert Pulp Mill where he would enjoy the next 24 years with many friendships made that lasted a lifetime.
Life was not all work for Jim as he had many hobbies, most notably being an organizer for local antique, rod and custom car clubs and minor hockey teams.
His love of cars developed at an early age and in 1967 he bought his dream vehicle – a Dodge Coronet R/T right off the assembly line. He, with the help of some of his close friends, built a 1940 Ford Coupe that was featured in a 1973 Street Rodder magazine.
Jim was a member of both the Coachmen and Oddfellows car clubs and for more than 20 years helped host an annual car show that raised thousands of dollars for local charities. During this time he also became involved in minor hockey and for more than a decade formed a successful partnership with Tom Lavallee that ultimately let to several championship teams.
In 1984, Jim and Isabel bought their dream home, a cottage at Sunset Bay on Emma Lake. It was here where they both retired in 1999 and enjoyed so much time together with their friends and their dogs.
While in retirement, Jim received one of the biggest thrills on his life when in 2003 he was inducted into the Prince Albert Sports Hall of Fame for his years of meritorious service to sport. That honour was something that he truly appreciated and enjoyed even though he often said he never understood what all the fuss was about.
Jim found great relaxation in reading while being retired and in addition to spending quality time with Isabel and his “little buddies” he also marshalled at the Emma Lake Golf Course. He would also keep himself busy by being a fan of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, the Toronto Blue Jays and the Prince Albert Raiders. He also became a huge supporter or the Bears Midget AAA hockey team seldom missing a game over the last decade.
His life was full and ended way too soon, but Jim will be remembered as someone who was a great believer in family and a tireless volunteer for his community.
Jim leaves to honour his memory his wife of 57 years Isabel, his sons Doug and Dave and a sister Marge (Bob Mumm) along with numerous brothers and sisters-in-law. He was predeceased by his daughter Theresa, his younger brother Joe and a vast Leaderhouse family of uncles and aunts.
Funeral Service will be held Monday, May 15th at 2 p.m. at St. Mary Roman Catholic Church in Christopher Lake. In lieu of flowers or any other tributes, those wishing to honour Jim’s memory can do so by making a donation to either the SPCA or the Northern Bears female hockey team.
- Date : 2017-05-10
- Location : Prince Albert, SK