Ron Levagood
1943 - 2021
It is with great regret and sadness that the family of Delbert Ronald Levagood announces his passing at the Foothills Hospital in Calgary on Thursday, September 30, 2021 at the age of 78 years.
A private service was held at Peace Lutheran Church, Taber on Saturday, August 6, 2022.
Ron is survived by his loving wife of forty seven years, Ilene; sisters Jean Kiel and family and Lorna Reese and family; sister-in-law Di Levagood. He is also survived by his brother-in-law Johnny Pecz; sisters-in-law Mary Padley and family and Ann Chapman and family. He will be lovingly remembered by many colleagues, associates and friends. His nieces, nephews and cousins will fondly remember “Uncle Ron’s Pancakes”, especially at Cornfest!
Ron was predeceased by his parents Delbert and Ella Levagood, brother Richard “Dick” Levagood, brother-in-law Steve Kiel and nephew Colin Reese.
Ron was born on August 7, 1943 at the Didsbury Municipal Hospital, to parents Delbert and Ella Levagood. He was named after his dad Delbert, and his dad’s best school chum, Ronnie Lyons who was killed in a training accident at CFB Penhold. The Levagood family grew adding sister Jean, brother Dick and baby sister Lorna. Ron rode horse back to a one room schoolhouse called Clovermount where he excelled at an early age in reading.
During his teen years on the farm he served as Treasurer and President of the West Didsbury 4H Beef Club showing the Reserve Grand Champion Steer in 1957.
After junior high in Didsbury, he attended Concordia College in Edmonton where he was active in all sports and Choral groups. Graduating from Grade twelve in 1962, he commenced studies at the college level towards the Lutheran Ministry. Upon graduation in 1964, he then transferred to the teacher training program at Concordia Teachers College, located in River Forest, Illinois. His studies were interrupted by the United States draft call in support of the Vietnam War. He completed basic and pre-deployment training in San Diego. He was then airlifted to Okinawa, Japan to complete a thirteen month stint forwarding casualties mail that was being shipped up from Vietnam. On return to the United States, he was stationed at Base Head Quarters, Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton in California for a period of ten months as an administrative man. He was then transferred to the US Army Induction Station in Oakland, California as a Mental testing Noncom. On release from active duty on October 5, 1968 he returned to his parental home on the farm west of Didsbury to “Decompress” and pursue job opportunities in Calgary.
In January 1969 he commenced a one year position as a survey director setting up X-Ray clinics and doing public relations work for the Alberta Lung Association. In January 1970 he pursued an opening for a sales rep position with Grand & Toy office products. This led to a twenty seven year career in sales and management, placing consistently in the top twenty of the national sales force. His sales calls at CIBC Regional Office Calgary led to his meeting the love of his life, Ilene Pecz. They were married on June 29, 1974 in Taber. In-laws John and Eileen Pecz (deceased) and the entire Pecz family welcomed him into their midst. With his new family decades of happy memories were created.
Feeling the urge to start their own business, he and Ilene opened a Color Your World home decorating products store in her home town in Taber. They successfully operated it for sixteen years prior to their retirement on December 30, 2011.
In retirement they continued to travel in Europe and North America. Ron’s interests outside of business included service with the Jaycees, as a police security volunteer for the 1998 Calgary Winter Olympics, ten years singing barbershop with the Stampede City Chorus (Chairman of 250 volunteers for the 1993 International Convention), four years with the Bridge City Barbershop Chorus of Lethbridge, fifteen years with the Taber Kiwanis (he and Ilene started the Christmas Shoebox Campaign), twenty years with the Taber Players theatre group, Treasurer of the Citizens on Patrol and Parkside Manor.
An avid hunter, fisherman and observer of nature, he received his Alberta Field Naturalists shoulder patch in the 1990’s. In retirement, he continued to pursue his interests in writing, family history and genealogy. Concluding his volunteer activities, he functioned as a tutor for ESL students.
Ilene would like to send a heartfelt thank you to Dr. Wes Steed and his great team of nurses at the Taber Hospital. Also, to the cardiac surgeons and the nurses at the Foothills Hospital in Calgary.
If friends so desire, memorial tributes in Ron’s name may be made directly to Heart and Stroke Foundation of Alberta, 100, 119 - 14 Street NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1Z6 www.heartandstroke.com or to Diabetes Canada, Calgary and District Branch, 220, 6223 - 2 Street SE, Calgary, Alberta T2H 1J5 www.diabetes.ca.