Obituary of Leo Norman Bushman

It is with deep sadness we announce the sudden passing of our beloved husband and father, Leo Norman Bushman, on Monday, August 8, 2005 at the age of 88 years. Leo is survived by his wife, Jennifer; children, Erlking (Amy), Wendy (Michael), Anna (Daniel), Walter, Barry (Marcy), Edward (Sanae) and his first wife, Sherry; stepchildren, Linda (Danny), Judy (Chris), Andrew and Ben; grandchildren, Ahna (Eddie), Amy, Tara, Adam, Felicia, Brooks, Carolina, Angela (Bryan), Gayle, Allison, Andrea, Nate, and Helena; several great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. Leo will be remembered fondly for his love of road trips and his dedication to his family, in the USA and Canada. He was always active and loved to tell a joke – usually unable to get to the punch line before laughing. Leo had a passion for watercolour painting and the making of rubbings which he continued to pursue throughout his entire life. Of particular note are Leo’s rubbings of manhole covers in Calgary and especially the University of Calgary. Leo was born in Mishawaka, IN in 1917 and enjoyed a long and varied life throughout the world. In 1936, Leo received a B.F.A. with honours (Industrial Design), at the School of the Arts Institute in Chicago. His first teaching assignment was at the University of Notre Dame, IN from 1939-1940. From 1941-1945, he served in the U.S. Army, first as a Cadet Pilot then as a Technical Illustrator and Weight and Balance Engineer. In 1947, he received his M.F.A. from Columbia University, New York, and taught at the New York State Institute of Applied Arts & Science, the University of California, Fresno and the Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, CA, where he headed the Technical Illustration Department at the Stanford Research Institute in Menlo Park, CA. He completed his doctoral requirements for ED.D at Stanford University, CA in 1953. A move to Japan to serve as Civilian Director of the U.S. Pacific Air Force Arts & Crafts program provided him with exposure to Oriental art. He remained in the Orient and became the U.S. Air Force Education Director in Seoul, Korea, a post he retained until 1963. After an eleven month world tour of twenty-nine countries to observe, collect and photo-document children’s art he returned to the U.S. to teach and chair the Drawing & Painting Department at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, NM. In the mid-sixties Leo came to Canada to work at the University of Calgary as an Associate Professor because of his extensive experience working with indigenous peoples. It was the beginning of a long tenure. After retiring from the Faculty of Fine Arts in 1982, Leo served as a board-appointed Research Associate at the Arctic Institute of North America (AINA) at the University of Calgary; he also served as Curator of the Institute’s extensive collection of Arctic drawings, paintings, prints, photographs, film and video. Since his retirement Leo’s personal interests included drawing, painting and collecting children’s art – especially native children’s art. Leo has exhibited and lectured widely in the USA, Canada, South Korea, and Japan and often visited schools to inspire young future artists. His work is in many collections, and he was the recipient of various awards in recognition of his outstanding studio and educational work. He had just completed a calendar of children’s art from various parts of the world and had started work on a calendar of native children’s art. Leo will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Funeral Services will be held at McINNIS & HOLLOWAY’S Crowfoot Chapel (82 Crowfoot Circle N.W.) on Monday, August 15, 2005 at 2:30 p.m. Forward condolences through www.mcinnisandholloway.com. In living memory of Leo Bushman, a tree will be planted by McINNIS & HOLLOWAY FUNERAL HOMES, Crowfoot Chapel, 82 CROWFOOT CIRCLE N.W., CALGARY. Telephone: (403) 241-0044.