Obituary of Leo Rivard

It is with deep sorrow and much love that we mourn the passing of Léo Rivard of Fir Mountain, who left us peacefully on November 13, 2025, with his family by his side. He will be lovingly remembered by his wife Thérèse (née Lagassé); his children Johanne (Chuck) Rust, Mariette (Ross) Anderson, Hélène (Randy) Ray, Maurice Rivard, Adèle (Will) Breen, and René (Kara) Rivard; his grandchildren Dominique (Chris), Kimberly (Michael), Nathan (Jessie), Mark (Kristen), Thomas (Emma), Meghan, Isaac, and Violet; and his great-grandchildren Daxton, Landry, Ronan, Vincent, Oliver, and Theo. He is also survived by his sisters Cécile Gauthier, Juliette Nogue, and by his sister-in-law Lorraine (Heiberg) Rivard.

Léo was predeceased by his parents Arthur and Léonie Rivard; his sisters Alice (Slim) Hill, Antoinette (Omer) Lagassé, Thérèse (Réné) Lorrain, Gisèle (Émile) Lagassé; his brother Jules; and his brothers-in-law Raymond Gauthier, Louis Nogue, and Émile Lagassé.

Born on February 23, 1934, on the family farm near Fir Mountain, Saskatchewan, Léo was the fourth child of Arthur and Léonie (née Dumont). He attended Plessis  School near the farm and fondly remembered riding his horse, Nellie, to school.

On October 3, 1963, Léo married the love of his life, Thérèse Lagassé. They began their married life on the Rivard homestead. In 1966, on the drive home from church, Léo stopped and pointed to a small knoll marked only by a five-gallon pail. He told Thérèse, “This is where we will build our home.” From that simple marker grew the home where they would raise their six children—Johanne, Mariette, Hélène, Maurice, Adèle, and René—and build a life filled with purpose, warmth, and community.

Dedicated to providing for his family, Léo worked tirelessly throughout his life. As grandchildren and great-grandchildren arrived, he welcomed each one with joy, eager to play, share stories, and create memories. In 2019, Léo and Thérèse moved to Assiniboia, making their new home at East Side Court. After a short illness, Léo was admitted to Assiniboia Long-Term Care in November 2023, where his gentle spirit quickly won the hearts of the staff who soon felt like family to him.

Léo was a lifelong learner and creator, blessed with an engineer’s mind. He was so proud to complete his GED and then to further complete the requirements of the Electrical program at  SIAST in 1994. He loved to tinker, invent, and build—especially farm-related creations—and was constantly learning new skills. He shared his knowledge freely. Skilled in countless trades, he was a ham radio operator, air-conditioning technician, and an electrician. He was also fondly known for his beloved orange truck.

A man of great adaptability and resourcefulness, Léo met life’s changes with determination and a steady spirit. He was a quiet but strong community leader, involved in the church, the Knights of Columbus, and many volunteer efforts. Humble and generous, he was someone neighbours could always count on for help—strong, steady, and dependable.

Léo’s warm sense of humour was one of his trademarks. He loved a good dad joke—both hearing them and telling them. A devoted Catholic, he carried a deep faith that shaped his life and guided his actions. Above all, he cherished his family. He was a wealth of knowledge, a gifted storyteller, and a man who always placed the needs of others before his own.

Léo will be deeply missed but forever loved. There is a time to work and a time to rest. His time for rest has come.

The family would like to thank the staff at the Assiniboia Hospital Longterm Care for all you did for Dad.

A Funeral Mass will be held for Léo on December 6, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. at St. Georges Catholic Church in Assiniboia.