Leslie Patricia 'Semko' Campbell

Leslie passed away on 6 March 2017 in the comfort of her home with her husband Bob and son David by her side. We were with her the moment she died and were able to comfort her by holding her hand. She was as comfortable as possible and without pain.
While our hearts are heavy with grief, we take comfort in our happy memories and the fact that she no longer has to struggle with health problems or suffer any longer. She was born in Hafford, Saskatchewan on 7 September 1933 to parents with Ukrainian Canadian heritage. Her father, Peter John Semko who married Anne (Kindrachuk) Semko was a school teacher at a time of the one room schoolhouse on the Prairies. Peter, Anne and the children, Holly, Violet, Leslie and Peter (junior), lived in accomodation provided by the school district during the school year but not in summer. She would tell us stories of when they used to pack up and visit Aunt Mary's, Peter's sister's, farm in summer, where Leslie had memories of being able to eat at length from the family vegetable garden and eat chicken in fresh cream.
When Leslie went to elementary school she was singled out by teachers who used to mispronounce her name intentionally to make her feel shame for her Ukrainian culture. Children would tease her and call her a "DP" which incorrectly placed her along with recent European immigrants to Canada after the war. This seemed to be with Les her whole life despite our unconditional love at home. In the 1960s she worked in video editing in Saskatoon and Vancouver at the TV stations CFQC and BCTV respectively. Then in 1969, she gained her nursing qualification at the Olser School of Nursing in Toronto. She never actually practiced nursing, as Bob and Leslie bought a hotel business in Semans Saskatchewan shortly after marrying in 1970. Les was an excellent business partner who worked very hard and had a good attention to detail.
She gave birth to David in 1972. She was as close to a perfect mom you could imagine as she gave all the love she could to David and to his friends. She had a special way with children that made them feel loved. She helped David to learn to appreciate art, and music. She liked to dress well and look sharp.
Bob and Les sold the hotel business in Semans and moved to Kelowna in 1979. A year later they purchased a motel in Quesnel BC. Les was astute in her judgement to build a new building with more rooms, a pool, sauna, and whirlpool to have a competitive point of difference. They owned and operated the business until 1988 when they got managers to operate it. They bought a house in Victoria BC in 1990 and sold the motel in 1992. Les and Bob then bought absentee landlord properties in Alberta in 1993 which allowed them to semi-retire. Leslie had difficulty adjusting to life after the business was sold and was an expression of how hard she had worked in the business to make it successful. Lesia was a delicate prairie flower (crocus) who gave many gifts to all that she met.
She will be remembered for her charisma, sparkly eyes, big hugs, generousity, sensitivity, perfectionism, kindness, and her love of cooking, gardening, nature, music and children. We will also think of what could have been for Les as she had so many skills which were never adequately pursued like oil painting, photography and singing.
We love you and miss you. We will think of you often. When we are in the kitchen we will remember you singing, "Parsley, sage, rosemary and time" or in the garden singing, "Rain drops on roses, whiskers on kittens." We will think of you when we leave the house when you'd ask where we are going? We will think of you when we see a derelict barn by the roadside or when the wondrous rhododendrons bloom in spring. And if we are aware enough to take time and appreciate the magnificent beauty of nature, we will remember you then too. You will be in our hearts forever.