William John Brownell passed quietly on Thursday, May 8, 2025, at Peter Lougheed Centre at the age of 88 years.
John is survived by his siblings, Ken (Dianne), Linda (Keith), and Jean (Andy), all in Saskatchewan; his sons, David (Roxi) and Garth (Jody); and his grandchildren, Christopher, Emily (Drake), Sarah, Shannon, and Dylan, Shawn (Erika), and his great-grandson, Harrison.
John was predeceased by his beloved wife, Jeanne.
John was born in Edam, SK, to Laurence and Laura Brownell who homesteaded nearby. Growing up on a farm in the 1940s had its challenges, and as the oldest of four siblings, John had all the additional responsibilities. In those days, the primitive roads closed in winter, and only horse and sleigh would make the trip. John would hitch up the horses and the enclosed caboose to take his brother and sisters safely to school.
When he was older, John boarded at school in Meota, SK, and enjoyed sports when there was time, especially baseball in the summer. He loved hockey but never had the chance to develop his skating skills, so he would have to wait until his sons came along to enjoy it.
In January 1958, John joined the Bank of Montreal in North Battleford, SK, first as a clerk for $45 a week. This became a lifetime career at the bank until he retired in 1996.
He met the love of his life, Eleanor “Jeanne” Karlenzig (April 19, 1939 – October 18, 1922), when he was posted to Selkirk, MB. Jeanne had just graduated from nursing college, and they were married on April 15, 1961. Together, they raised two sons, David John (February 28, 1962) and William Garth (January 8, 1964).
John developed his banking career in Regina, SK, Selkirk, MB, Regina, SK, Winnipeg, MB, Hartney, MB, Outlook, SK, Calgary, AB, Edmonton, AB, Prince Albert, SK, finishing in Saskatoon, SK. During this time, John and Jeanne’s vacations became increasingly exotic, as they travelled to Hawaii, Australia, Europe, and Russia. After retirement, they added Alaska and China to the list. After retirement, John and Jeanne spent a few winters golfing in Florida, avoiding alligator water hazards, before moving to Vancouver Island and settling in Parksville, BC.
John embarked on a years-long quest to complete the family tree lineage which resulted in five volumes of ancestry lineage representing the Brownell, Nealebubb, and Karlenzig families. He enjoyed sharing stories of the family ordeals as homesteaders during the Riel rebellion, family ties to famous ancestors, and even tracing our lineage to the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
John had a passion for golf throughout his life, golfing well into his eighties, and shared this passion with his sons. He was also known for throwing a rock or two at the curling rink and skippering his team to surprising victories.
John was truly a rock of wisdom to all who knew him, and he was considered a very gentle man. John was a spiritual man, and both he and Jeanne were very involved at the Parksville United Church (Knox), with John arranging men’s breakfast meetings and Jean assisting with Sunday School.
John and Jeanne’s shared passion was their grandchildren, and they were very active in their upbringing, for which the family is forever grateful. Their kindness and love spread beyond our family to friends and acquaintances, resulting in a lifetime of relationships.
When it was time, John and Jeanne transitioned to assisted living at Berwick Qualicum Beach, BC. John was a pillar of devotion to Jeanne as her caregiver through her steady decline in health.
Shortly after Jeanne passed on, John suffered a stroke affecting his dominant left side. Despite this challenge, John recovered to live quietly in Qualicum until health concerns made it necessary to move closer to family in Calgary.
On John and Jeanne’s first date, he rowed her across a river to attend a church service. We think of him now, rowing again across a river, this time to meet the love of his life in Paradise.
John’s ashes will be inurned with Jeanne’s at Knox United Church, Parksville at a later date.
In living memory of William John Brownell, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes, Eastside, 5388 Memorial Drive NE, Calgary, AB T2A 3V9, Telephone: 403-248-8585.