Longtime Prince George resident Agnes Leslie was remembered Tuesday for her volunteer efforts and her passion for local history and people.
She died Thursday at the age of 97.
After moving to Prince George in 1961, Leslie worked as a stenographer, a skill that held her in good stead when she co-wrote The Book: Memoirs of Our Members, a collection of 50 short biographies featuring seniors who were members of the Elder Citizens Recreation Association (ECRA) at the time.
Leslie co-wrote the book with Kathy Nadalin and the duo received the Jeanne Clarke Award for service to local history in 2009 for their two-year effort. All proceeds of the book were donated to ECRA and publishing the book was made possible by a grant from the Prince George Community Foundation.
"I'd been saying 'these people at the centre are so interesting someone should write a book' and people would tell me nobody would read it," Nadalin said. "But not Agnes, she said 'that's a great idea'."
Nadalin knew Leslie had volunteered extensively at her church.
"And I knew she had some experience on how to do this type of thing and so she was the typist for the book," Nadalin said. "I really admired Agnes before we started that book and we were good friends and by the time we were done I loved her like my mum. She was just so accommodating, she was smart, and just wonderful to work with. She was 84 years old at the time."
Nadalin remembers Leslie as quite the character.
"Agnes used to belong to the drama club at the seniors' centre and she was just so funny," Nadalin said. "She was still tap dancing in the skits when she was 80 years old. She was amazing. She loved her family, her church and always supported ECRA. She was a great friend and confidante and she was loved by so many people. She will be missed."
Leslie was a lifelong member of the Catholic Women's League, a longtime volunteer for the St. Vincent de Paul Society and her passion for music was showcased as she sang in church and community choirs, including the Rainbow Singers at ECRA in which she participated into her late 80s.
Born on Oct. 21, 1920, Leslie (nee Jelinski) grew up in Regina and met her husband Chester Leslie while he was stationed in Regina during the Second World War. They were married on March 2, 1946 and had two sons, two daughters, nine grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
Leslie is predeceased by her husband, as well as her brothers Bernard, Robert, Edmond, Alfred and Arnold and her sisters Gertrude and Hazel.
To honour Leslie, her family asks that instead of flowers, donations may be made to St. Vincent de Paul Society or ECRA.
The funeral mass will be held at Sacred Heart Cathedral on Saturday at 11 a.m.
