Obituary of Bruce Warren Lawson

August 17, 1927 – Belmont, Manitoba

December 6, 2023 - Calgary, Alberta

Bruce Lawson passed away on Wednesday, December 6, 2023, in Calgary, Alberta at the age of 96 years.

Through his life Bruce journeyed from small town Manitoba to Texas to study chemical engineering and back again before completing his studies when his family home and dry goods business were lost in a fire, to travelling by rail, as far as Churchill, Manitoba, selling dry goods along the way.  But it was work with GM in Saskatchewan where he met his wife, Arlene. Together, with Bruce doing the studying and Arlene working as a legal secretary, they got Bruce a pharmacy degree from the University of Saskatchewan and received the gold medal, which Bruce’s classmates said really belonged to Arlene.  Then onto Regina where Bruce did a brief stint with Pinder’s Drugstore before moving to the Saskatchewan government where he contributed to setting up the Saskatchewan health care system and finally Ottawa, where he contributed to setting up our federal health care system.

In his late 80’s Bruce was diagnosed with dementia and was cared for at home by Arlene, with the kind help of Barney, then by his daughter Susan and finally onto the Bethany Care Society where he found kindness, care, and happiness.

Bruce was predeceased by his wife Arlene and his daughter Lesley and is survived by his son Ian, daughter Susan (Michel Patrice), granddaughters Skeena, Saige and Silken and their mother, Shelley Hawrelak.

Bruce and Arlene will be interred at Starbuck, Manitoba.

In living memory of Bruce Lawson, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes, Park Memorial, 5008 Elbow Drive SW, Calgary, AB T2S 2L5, Telephone: 403-243-8200.