When someone passes away, a void is left within a family that is difficult to fill. But some people live a life so full of dedication and service that the void they leave is felt by an entire community. Such is true of the passing of Leonard Vernon Arnold.

Vern, as everyone seemed to know him, first came to the County of Forty Mile in 1960. He was born in Maple Creek but his family moved to Medicine Hat while Vern was still a high school student. He got a degree in agriculture at Olds College then returned to the county to become its first agricultural fieldman, a position he held for 35 years.

Vern met his wife, Aldean, whom he described in a newsletter he wrote as “a remarkable and very tolerant lady” at a ball diamond in Foremost. He saw her later at a grad dance and made the decision right then and there that she would be the gal for him. As usual, his instincts lead him well, and the couple stayed together celebrating about half a century of successful marriage. They brought three sons and a daughter into the world, and those children all married and had children of their own. When Vern passed away he was the proud grandfather of 10.

Vern was a very active proud community member and he loved the natural world, melding its needs beautifully with the needs of farmers and agriculture. He joined various organizations to support his love of nature like Ducks Unlimited and the Foremost and Alberta Fish and Game Associations. His love for the great outdoors lead him to promote wetland projects and shelterbelts.

In fact he was responsible for planting more than three million trees and subsequently protecting and promoting the abundance of life that shelter and utilize those areas. His love of the natural world also encouraged him to become part of the Forty Mile Dam project at its inception, along with Oliver Hodge. Alan Hyland, currently the mayor of Bow Island, but at the time the area’s MLA was also a part of that project.

“Once he took something on, he put his all into in,” Hyland said. “Whether he was working for the county or volunteering, when he gave his word, it was good. If he couldn’t do something, he told you so. If he wasn’t sure, he said he would try. He was honest and square about things.”

Vern made most of the arrangements with landholders in the Etzikom Coulee region south of Foremost for a wetlands project paid for by The Duck Hunters of California and called the Vernon Project in his honour. He also made arrangements for the purchase of 40 acres of land near Foremost and helped design a firearms/archery range and a habitat project. He was a conservation and hunter education instructor, and his love of hunting, fishing and wildlife was a passion he lived by promoting it within his community, but it was also something he passed on to his family.

It was also one of the reasons he was honoured with the Big Horn Award by the Alberta government for his lifelong commitment to conservation.

MLA Len Mitzel, who hails from Etzikom, crossed paths with Vern on many occasions, volunteering for a number of organizations alongside him and as the county reeve during some of the time Vern held his position as ag fieldman.

He said he was also happy to call him a friend.

He said they met when Vern first became active in the Fish and Game association, then after Vern retired from his job, he became more active in that organization again, as it was going through a period locally when it was difficult to find people to hold executive positions.

“I was still involved then to a certain degree. He certainly was involved in conservation and with wildlife.

“He was involved with a lot of organizations. He would hear of a good idea, or come up with a good idea and then become part of the team that made it happen or volunteer to lead that team. He had a lot of contacts. He knew who to call and how to get things done.”Personally, Mitzel remembers one particular hunting trip with Vern, a predator hunt.

“He would get extremely excited - and I mean extremely excited. He was a good shot and he would do everything in his power to add a predator to the list if we saw something like a coyote. We never did end up getting the trophy, but we ended up in a snowdrift more than once that day because of him,” he laughed.

He added one of the things most important to Vern was his family, his wife, children, and grandchildren, and maintaining the connection he had with them.

Besides his life-long commitment to the natural habitat, Vern was also passionate about his community. It would likely be easier to name the organizations he was not a part of than those he was part of. They include the Lion’s Club, the Foremost Theatrical Society (he got to direct their last performance, Larry, a lifelong dream of his, this year) the Chamber of Commerce, the Alberta Minor Hockey Association, Victim’s Services and 4-H.

In fact, Vern brought 4-H to the County of Forty Mile when he was the area’s ag fieldman, promoting the program which he felt would enrich the lives of local youth.

After 35 years with the county, Vern took his retirement - which lasted for all of a year. Then he took on a new job at Bow Island Chevrolet as a salesman where he distinguished himself time after time, receiving the salesman of the month and eventually salesman of the year recognition.

It seemed that in every aspect of his life, Vern reached for excellence.

While gathering his belongings at his office in Bow Island, his children found a photo album Vern kept there. In it are his gathered memories, things he felt were important enough to keep close to rifle through and consider. The book truly seems to be a reflection of the man. It begins with his most important memories, photos of his family, first wife and children and later grandchildren. There are family pictures of all of them together, generally outdoors. Some show proud moments like a grandchild’s first white tail deer.

Later on in the book are a few newspaper articles and copies of various awards Vern gathered through a lifetime of service. These are obviously moments that were important to him, but one of the things that really shows the nature of the man that all these awards are interspersed with other accolades given to friends and colleagues. It is obvious they were as important to him as the ones he received. He was a man who celebrated his friends and their accomplishments and took part in them gladly, from conservationist buddy Alva Blair’s book to Joan Hughson’s nomination as farmer of the year.

He promoted art by putting up paintings by local artists in his office at Bow Island Chev. He collected teddy bears for Victim’s Services. He stood behind and promoted everything he thought was worthy in the community.

He was also a man with an opinion, something quite evident in his Vern’s Vision’s newsletters.

“He didn’t say you had to agree with him, but he would give you his opinion,” Aldean remembers fondly. But what she remembers best, beyond his work and his commitment to the community, is his ability as a husband and a father. “I was always so relieved because every time the kids had a serious decision to make in life, Vern was very good at guiding them.”“He was happiest watching his grandkids,” remembered Dan.

“He enjoyed us watching our kids,” added Doug.

He coached their hockey teams, took them hunting and fishing and searching for Indian arrow heads. He lead by example and taught them to always keep their word and do the best job possible.

One of the things Donna remembers best about her father was that he was very articulate and well-read.

“I inherited a love of reading from him which I will always be grateful for,” she said. “He always had a book on the go, and loved to beat me at scrabble because he had such a great vocabulary! Dad announced rodeos for many years with the Chinook Rodeo association, a tough job if you don’t know how to speak well and fill in the dead air. He was Master of Ceremonies more times than you or I could ever count for  numerous events, and judged public speaking competitions for many years for 4-H. Dad’s ability to speak well in any setting was invaluable in his ability to reach people and be such an effective volunteer and community booster.”

“But as they say, behind every great man is a great woman,” Dan said nodding at his mom. “Mom was implemental in dad’s success.”

And now, though Vern is gone, his legacy will live on through his children and grandchildren, through his work with conservation and other worthy organizations and as a great example to everyone to see how a life of personal excellence can positively impact so many people.