Leonard Walter Lightfoot

March 10, 2022
Len, a kind and gentle man, passed away in his sleep at the Views in Comox on March 10, 2022 at age 77. Mourning his loss are his wife, Joan; his sons Tom (Helen) and Dennis (Kimberley); and his grandson, Douglas.
Len grew up near Strawberry Vale School in Victoria and acquired his love of farming and machinery while playing in the farms and countryside of his youth.
He met Joan, the love of his life, in 1959 while skating at the old Memorial Arena in Victoria; he was 15 and Joan was 14. The Burnside Wilkinson bus was their transportation until Len was old enough to drive his 1950 Ford "pick-me-up" truck. Len and Joan were married May 16, 1964; they were both still teenagers! Tom and Dennis came along soon after. By their early 20's they had a small farm with a roadside stand.
Len's day job was as an electrician at CFB Esquimalt but he dedicated much of his time and energy to the farm and his sons' sports: baseball and swimming. For Little League baseball, he was a manager, a coach and a fundraiser. For swimming, he was a master official, in spite of not being a swimmer himself.
In 1988, he decided that he had enough of working for the government and finally got his wish to become a full-time farmer.
Len contributed a lot to the local farming and agriculture community and was one of the founding members of the Comox Valley Farmers' Market in 1992. He was the market association's President in 1993 and 1998. Len and Joan ran Kirby Road Farm which was a fixture at the Saturday and Wednesday markets until 2010 when they sold the farm.
Len really loved selling at the market and visiting with all of the other vendors and regular customers. Len also loved farm equipment, especially antique farm equipment, and was a master at getting the old machines working and keeping them working through haying season.
Len will be greatly missed. He will be remembered by those who knew him as generous, strong, smart, funny and loyal. Len will be remembered as a friendly man who loved to talk and leave people with a smile on their face.
Family and friends are invited to share your stories at a celebration of Len's life at 2 pm on Sunday, May 15 at the Merville Hall, 1245 Fenwick Road, just off the Old Island Highway.
Condolences may be offered at www.telfordtoneffboyd.ca


Telford Boyd Funeral