Thomas "Les" Leslie Wardle

Thomas Leslie Wardle

Les Wardle passed away at the Assiniboine Centre in Brandon, Manitoba on Friday, March 27th at the age of 87.

Les will be dearly missed and his memory cherished by his wife, Mary; daughter, Andrea (Rob) Frederick and their children, Darren ( Kierra ) and their children, Knox and Nash; Danielle ( Landen ); daughter, Jennifer Wardle and her children, Riley (Austin), and Reid. Also left to mourn; brother, Ken Wardle, sister, Katie Worles, their families, and son-in-law Bob Jonasson.

Les was born in South Shields, England on May 27, 1938. Les was the eldest of four children born to Thomas Leslie and Lillian Wardle. He had two sisters, Joyce and Katie, and one brother, Ken. Les recounted happy family memories growing up along the northeast coast of England.

During the second world war, when the docks along the River Tyne were bombed by Nazi Germany and the air raid sirens sounded, Les’s mother would carry him and his sister to the Anderson Bomb Shelter in their back garden to wait until the all clear signal. Les remembered the rationing and shortages of food after the war. The family of six was fed generous portions of Yorkshire Pudding to fill them up before the meager roast beef course for a Sunday dinner. He often spoke of the apple juice sent from Canada which was given out to the children in his school.

Les did his National Service in the Royal Air Force from 1957 to 1959. He was proud of his opportunity to work on the Vulcan bomber in the role of a radar wireless mechanic. Because of his prowess as a rugby player, he was able to get out of some mundane duties by playing for the Air Force Station rugby team.

After National Service, Les worked in South Shields and then moved to London to work for a dry cleaning company during the “swinging sixties”. Money was tight so he didn’t have the opportunity to experience much “swinging”. During his time there he got his driver’s license and bought a little sports car. It was low to the ground and the girls wore mini dresses, so it was a fun time to drive!

An opportunity arose for Les to come to Winnipeg with his work. He was an avid fan of downhill skiing and thought moving to Canada would lead to easier access to good skiing. He arrived in Winnipeg in May 1967. One of the first things he did was join the Winnipeg Ski Club and over the next few years he enjoyed many ski trips to the mountains.

Les left the dry cleaning company and ended up working for Manitoba Hydro. His first jobs were in northern Manitoba doing survey work and living in a tent throughout the winter. Les worked on the major hydro electric projects along the Nelson River. He became an engineering office supervisor. The work was six days a week, but never dull as there was always something interesting happening on a work site.

Les married Sarah Evans in September 1972. They had two daughters, Andrea and Jennifer. Although work kept him far away from his daughters after the marriage dissolved, he maintained a close relationship with them and they adored their Dad.

Les met his future wife, Mary Cram, during the tail end of the Limestone Generating Station project. Mary came to teach in the community of Sundance which was not far from the Limestone camp where Les lived. Mary and Les were soon a couple. They lived in Pinawa, Morden, and Bissett, married in 1997 and finally made their home in Brandon in 2000 in order to be close to Les’s daughters and the grandchildren who came along. Les and Mary played an active role in the lives of their four grandchildren with many sleepovers at Grandad and Nana’s house.

Les retired from Manitoba Hydro in 1996. He was able to pursue hobbies such as golf, tinkering with antique vehicles and deck building. He was an avid reader, and followed golf, tennis and Formula One racing. He was a loyal, but often disappointed fan of the players and drivers from the United Kingdom.

Les led a quiet life and was happy to be at home. No matter what he was doing during the day, everything came to halt at 5:00 in order to sit down with a glass of wine and phone his brother Ken, who had emigrated from England to Manitoba in 1984. Life in Canada was good to Les, but he always thought of England as “home” and cherished his “Geordie” roots. He made numerous trips back home to visit his parents, sisters, cousins and old school friends.

Dementia took its toll with Les losing more and more of his independence. He was able to remain in his home being cared for by his wife Mary and in the company of his beloved pets, Bella and Homer. Life became brighter in August, 2025 when Les became a Great Grandad to twin boys! He was very proud of his new title. He spent many happy hours holding Nash or Knox, or both, and basking in the glow of their beautiful smiles.

An informal celebration of life will be held on Saturday, June 6th at Section 6 pub on Princess Avenue in Brandon starting at 2:00. Les enjoyed going to Section 6 because he liked sharing a flight of beer and Bella was welcomed and admired. All friends and acquaintances are invited to stop in for a drink with his family and toast Les with “cheers”.

In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Les may be made to an animal shelter of your choice.

Thank you to the staff at Brandon General Hospital and the Assiniboine Centre, and to Dr. Leslie Moller for their care and compassion during Les’s short hospital stay.