Family of Allan Roy PETERSON and Olga LEZANSKY

PETERSON , Roy Roy Peterson, one of Grande Prairie’s leading community builders and a Hockey Legend, passed away at QEII Hospital in Grande Prairie on Monday, June 9, 2014 at the age of 86. Born in Eriksdale, Manitoba on July 22, 1927, Roy was the second youngest of nine children born to Ragnvald and Gudrun Peterson. He is predeceased by his siblings: Evangeline (“Diddi”), Reinert (“Bo”), Clarence (“Guy”), Konrad (“Connie”), Grace and Ragnvald (“Wuggi”). He is survived by his brother Gudmundur (“Manni”) of Richmond Hill, ON; sister Christine (“Kitty”) of Sheridan Lake, BC; Olga Peterson of Grande Prairie; son Rick and Brigitte Bureau-Peterson, both of Vancouver; grandchildren: Stephan and Sarah of Montreal, and Léa of Vancouver; and by his son Randy and Donna-Lynne Larson of West Vancouver. Roy left the family farm as a young man and tried unsuccessfully to serve in the military for WWII, where three older brothers all saw active service. Recruiters easily saw through his attempts to lie about his age, and turned him down on several occasions. He then worked in the mines in Flin Flon in Manitoba and then as a cab driver and bike courier in Vancouver before joining the RCMP and was stationed in Drumheller, AB, where me met and married Olga Lezansky. Their first son, Rick, was born in Drumheller in 1954. The family then moved to Grande Prairie where Roy took a job with the provincial highway inspection department, and welcomed their second son, Randy, who was born in 1957. Roy’s biggest legacy in Grande Prairie was his involvement in minor hockey. He was a builder, a coach, a referee, a volunteer, a mentor and one of the driving forces behind the establishment of minor hockey in the city. As a member of the GP volunteer fire department, Roy would often take the fire truck and could be seen flooding outdoor patches of ice for kids to use to play hockey and skate recreationally. Roy raised the idea of creating two ice rinks in Bear Creek Flats. In 1957, his dream became a reality when local businessmen provided material for a warming shack and boards, and Alberta Power donated lights and power for the Bear Creek Flats rinks project. Under Roy’s leadership, and with help from RCMP Staff Sgt. Bill Shaw along with close friends Max Henning, Ernie Radbourne, Harold McKay and Fred Dobyn, organized minor hockey was launched in Grande Prairie. The two rinks at Bear Creek flats spawned thousands of young hockey players over the years, and provided a location for recreational hockey and skating for scores of Grande Prairie residents. Along with his volunteer commitment to organizing minor hockey, Roy was an official in the South Peace Hockey League and the Junior League from 1960 to 1970. He coached hockey for 33 years, stressing teamwork and fair play. His 1972 Grande Prairie Bantam Barons team, with his son Randy playing on defence, won the provincial championship. In 1960 he was named Sportsman of the Year in Grande Prairie, and in 2004 he was named a Grande Prairie Hockey Legend. Roy was also an avid hunter, fisherman, fastpitch ball player and outdoor lover. He enjoyed a long and successful career as a local realtor. A Celebration of Life for Roy Peterson will be held on Monday, June 16, 2014 at 10:00 am at Oliver’s Funeral Chapel in Grande Prairie (10005 107 Ave), with luncheon to follow. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations made to the Salvation Army in Grande Prairie would be appreciated. All money donated will be used for local programs in Grande Prairie. Cheques can be mailed to 9525-83rd Ave. Grande Prairie, AB T8V 6V1. Condolences may be sent by visiting www.oliversfuneralchapel.com12789400

PETERSON,Olga (née Lezansky) Olga Peterson (née Lezansky) passed away at her home in Grande Prairie on Monday, January 4th, 2016 at the age of 82 years. Born in Vegreville, Alberta, Olga was an outstanding young student and pianist at an early age, and carried with her a love of music all her life. She married Roy Peterson, who was then an RCMP officer, and moved to Grande Prairie in 1955 with their infant son Rick, who was followed in 1957 by her other son, Randy. In Grande Prairie, Olga soon became a strong supporter of the minor hockey leagues, helping her children and those of countless others get ready for games, drive to tournaments and hockey schools, and stand out in the snow banks at the Bear Creek Flats and watch the action after getting off her shift as an X-ray technician at the hospital. She was named Hockey Mother of the Year at one point for her efforts. She also was an ardent fan of the Grande Prairie Athletics, working the concession stand with Max Henning, Elvie Wright and others, and participating in “boiler room” sessions after the final whistle, rehashing the game, trading jokes and banter, and genuinely enjoying the company and friendship of so many people who became such strong friends over the years. Olga had an eye and a taste for many of the finer things in life. She was an avid reader and loved to travel, flying with her sister Cheri to Russia for the 1974 Canada-Russia hockey series and then to Europe on a number of occasions. One of the highlights of her life was a trip to Italy in 2000 where she enjoyed touring many of the Tuscan castles, restaurants, vineyards and village squares. Olga was an astute business person who excelled in a retail environment. She was very good with numbers and records, possessed an eye for fashion trends, and had the ability to understand what customers wanted. She translated that into opening “Joanna’s Fashions” in the newly opened Prairie Mall, one of Grande Prairie’s first modern fashion stores, and then took her talents with her for more than two decades as a valued member of the team at Northern Vision Centre. One of her greatest loves was animals, with many dogs playing a part of her life, and those of her children. From raising more than 20 puppies at a time in the basement of her home as a young mother, to introducing Boomer, her Yorkshire Terrier, into her life four years ago as she entered retirement, Olga’s love and empathy for her dogs was a singularly defining trait of her character. She is survived by her sister Cheri of Edmonton, by her son Rick and his partner Irish Webb, of West Vancouver, by her son Randy and his partner Donna-Lynne Larson, as well as by her grandchildren Stephan and Sarah of Montreal, and Léa of Calgary, and by Boomer. A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, January 12th at 11:00 am in the Rotary Room of the Paradise Inn & Conference Centre at 11201-100 Avenue in Grande Prairie. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Grande Prairie SPCA in her name.