HAROLD (HAL) MURRAY LACEY

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HAROLD (HAL) MURRAY LACEY Harold (Hal) Murray Lacey, born May 3, 1919 in Winnipeg, died May 16, 2009 at the Grace Hospital, Winnipeg, Manitoba. Harold was predeceased by his first wife of over 30 years, Bess (Bette) Eileen Lacey (Keenan); his father, Edward George Lacey; his mother, Maude Mae Lacey (Parker); and his brother, Ted Lacey. Harold is survived by his wife Lilyan Lacey, whom he married in 1979 and was at his side when he died; and her daughters, Rhonda Rokosh and Jodie Gresham. He is also survived by the children of his marriage to Bette; daughters, Joanne McLaws and Barbara Lacey and son Brian Lacey (Lori). He is also survived by his brother Norman Lacey (Dorothy); sister-in-law Margaret Lacey (Ted); grandchildren, Melissa McLaws (Pablo Romero), Michael and Tyler Duncan, Branden Lacey; great-grandchildren, Alex and Ewan Romero Barrios. There are other living relatives, nieces and nephews, and Bette's sisters, Vi Flewelling, Margaret Lacey and Helen Crowley (Bob). Harold will be greatly missed by all. Hal graduated with a degree in Science (chemistry) from the University of Saskatchewan. In the early days he worked in the laboratory at Hudson's Bay Mining and Smelting in Flin Flon, MB. It was during these years in Flin Flon that Hal flirted with professional hockey, playing semi-pro with the famed Flin Flon Bombers. It was also where he met and married his wife Bette in 1943. In the mid 1940s, he spent a year teaching at St. John's-Ravenscourt School in Winnipeg. As a chemist, Hal worked for Great Lakes Paper in Kenora, Ontario and Macmillan Bloedel, in Port Alberni, BC. Later on in Fort William he worked for Buckman Laboratories, who supplied specialty chemicals to the pulp and paper industry. He spent the last 20 years of his career working as the Manager of Lab Services and Waste Water Treatment for the City of Winnipeg, retiring finally in 1984. Hal was a keen bird hunter and spent many weekends with his good friends hunting. He was always happy, in a blind, with his friends, with a couple of thermoses of hot coffee and a bag of sandwiches. Hal was an avid golfer with a scratch handicap. Harold played his last round of golf at age 89. From the mid 1960s to the mid 1990s, you could usually find Harold and the family at their Falcon Lake cottage on weekends and summer holidays. Hal spent most of his time puttering, but his favourite times were spent on the Falcon Lake Golf Course and fishing. His quiet leisure time at home was spent devouring newspapers and studying the financial markets and he was a keen Bridge player. Harold had a passion for driving and thought nothing of loading the family into the car and driving from Ontario to Vancouver to visit family. This passion also took Hal, solo, north to the Yukon in the summer of 1999, and many trips into the southern U.S.A. on winter golfing excursions. Harold celebrated his ninetieth birthday recently on Sunday, May 3, 2009, with his immediate family and close friends. A memorial celebration of his life will take place at a later date. THOMSON FUNERAL HOME 669 BROADWAY, WINNIPEG, MB R3C OX4 783-7211 Send expressions of sympathy at www.mem.com

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on May 21, 2009