Obituaries

EDMOND MARK LE NABAT

APRIL 19, 1950 – FEBRUARY 4, 2023

With family by his side, Mark Le Nabat passed away peacefully at the age of 72.

Left to cherish his memory are his wife Karen, his sons Marcus (Caroline), Derek, and Donavon (MeL), his daughter Sonya Jackson (Alan), and his siblings Murray (Janice), Michael (Mary Jane), Marsha (Dave†), Marvin (Karen), Michelle (Roy), Bea (Albert†) and Keith (Barb). He will also be missed by his grandchildren Ben (Cami), Sarah, Jappreet, Lauren and Maeven, plus countless nieces and nephews. He was pre-deceased by his son Matt Le Nabat.

Growing up in Saskatchewan, Mark developed a fondness for sports, cars and foods that would become part of his legacy. He often spoke about his mom’s impressive cooking and baking skills, and he would become known for his own signature dishes, especially those that involved a barbecue grill.

Mark enjoyed other simple pleasures such as playing cards (Pinochle and poker were favourites), playing baseball, enjoying backyard fires and amassing an encyclopedic knowledge of sports. What better ways to spend time with family and friends?

He spent his entire career of 37 years with Canada Post, starting out loading trains as a teenager, rising to become an Operations Manager for the Winnipeg Plant, and spending his last ten years as manager of the Portage La Prairie region, before retiring at the ripe old age of 53!

Mark and Karen moved into the Woodhaven Community in 1989 and before long became pillars of the community. Mark spent many years as President of the Woodhaven Community Club, knew all the neighbours (and their children and their pets’ names). And if he saw a neighbour with a flooding yard, he was there in a heartbeat to help out with his sump pumps.

A devotee of classic rock, there was nothing Mark liked more than playing air guitar on the dance floor, especially when his sons were the ones making the music.

Mark and Karen never truly went on vacation; they had their favourite spots to visit each year, sometimes for months at a time: Zihuatanejo, Mexico to enjoy some heat during the winter, and California and Toronto to spend time with family. Mark was fond of saying that he did all the same things as if he were at home.

His family grew in unexpected and unconventional ways, but Mark often bragged to the world, including the staff at Grace Hospice in his final weeks, about his Punjabi granddaughter, his Argentinian granddaughter and his Californian granddaughters.

The family extends a special thank you to the staff at Grace Hospice, for helping to make Mark’s final weeks as comfortable as possible.

A celebration of life will be held later this year.