26 Oct 1936 – 25 Dec 2023 (87)
1 PPCLI
On October 26, 1936, Stanley Baptist Lafond was born to Rose and Auguste Lafond. He started his life journey, delivered by a midwife, in the log home at Muskeg Lake Cree Nation in central Saskatchewan. His parents never dreamt that their 6th child (middle of 12 siblings) would find his way around the world experiencing countless adventures. Whenever he found his way home, he was loaded down with small gifts and stories to be shared over a beer with his family and friends.
His early years were spent on the small mixed farm run by his parents and exploring the pasture, the creek (crick to locals), visiting metis relatives and Cree families. Then, like all those in his family and community, in 1944 he entered St. Michael’s Residential School in Duck Lake. He spent the next 8 years there with summers off to help on his parents’ farm and occasionally hiring out to the local settler farms. During his time at St. Michael’s Stan discovered his love for sport and his natural athletic gifts. He played hockey with a passion, ran and walked constantly, and excelled on the soccer field. At the same time he began to dream of completing his grade 12 and building a future away from Muskeg Lake. It was not to be, when he turned 16 his father withdrew him from school to help in the farm. In the years following, he continued to work on his parents’ farm and as a hired hand with local settler farmers. Some of his favourite pastimes were hanging out with his cousin Raymond Primeau, riding his horse Smoky, and best of all playing hockey in the winter and soccer in the summer.
Then during the long winter of all winters in 1954 – 1955 and the resulting flood, of Muskeg Lake, Stan made a decision to find his dream. In June of 1955, after swearing his cousin Raymond into secrecy, Stan hitched his way to enlist with the PPCLI of the Canadian armed forces. It was months before his parents heard from him. During his time with the PPCLI, he served in Calgary and stationed at Deilinghofen, Germany (1955-1957). When he re-enlisted, he was stationed on the west coast. He continued his love for sport. He played hockey, rugby, and won the boxing title for his regiment. When asked about his extracurricular sports, his favourite reply was that it saved him from much of the army physical routines to devote his time to sport development.
In 1961, he was honourably discharged from the Canadian armed forces (Queen’s Own Rifles). He wanted a new military direction for himself and enlisted with the 82nd Airborne in the United States armed forces and later transferred to the 101st Airborne. For the next twenty years, Stan served in many different roles and in many different parts of the world. With the 82nd Airborne he was shipped to Vietnam. Stan did three tours in Vietnam until he was injured reconnoitring and shipped to Germany to recover. During his time in Vietnam, his service was recognized with several medals: the Bronze Star, Medal for Military Merit and the Purple Heart. Stan was a humble veteran and told the stories of his military experiences to a select few relatives and friends: his older brother Albert (also a Veteran of the PPCLI), his younger brother Roderick (a veteran of the Queen’s Own Rifles) and some nephews and nieces.
After a brief stint as a security officer at Muskeg Lake and as a Commissionaire in Saskatoon, he retired from active service to spend more time playing bingo with friends and sharing beer at “The Pat”. His sisters Bertha and Bridget kept tabs on him with regular calls and the odd visit. He was connected with his niece Cheryl and his younger brother Lionel. Through these connections his extended family were kept in contact. He liked his privacy but he also enjoyed family visitors.
Then on Christmas evening 2023, after his family had done the gifts, and eaten the turkey, Stan finished his adventurous life watching TV sports sitting in his favourite chair. At his request, a funeral gathering took place at the Leask Legion Hall on December 30 with family and some close friends. His brothers Lionel and Harry assisted with a celebration of life reading of poem punctuated by the trumpet playing of TAPS. The celebration demonstrated Stan’s place in the family as they laughed and told stories about their connection to him.Stanley B. Lafond is now buried at the Muskeg Lake Cemetery in between his brother and army friend Albert and another brother Theodore who had died early in life. It was a beautiful day, full of sunshine and an unusually warm afternoon.
https://beaulacfuneralhome.com/tribute/details/4544/Stanley-Lafond/obituary.html#tribute-start
Recent Comments