Obituary of Roy Gerald Salen

Roy Salen

December 8, 1933 - August 21, 2024

Roy was born to Reider and Margaret Salen in Birch Hills, Sask.  He was one of 5 children including Kenneth, Doug, Shirley and Garry.  He married Edna Popov in 1955, and from this union there were four children, Mitchell, Warren, Lani, and Colleen.  When Reider and Margaret moved to Prince Albert about 1962, Mom and Dad moved into the farmhouse and Dad continued to farm the two quarters of land in the community of Iranistan.  Dad had obtained his welding ticket after leaving school in grade 8.  He was a skilled welder and somewhat of an inventor.  He constructed one of the first known bin movers in the 70’s with the help of his good friend Brian Rude.  A friend with MS in the city of Prince Albert used his wheelchair in a stair lift designed and constructed by Dad.   Aside from fixing many farmers’ agricultural equipment, Dad was hired to design and weld many ornamental items, that may be still in the yards of the farmers in the area.  Dad worked many different jobs including bus driver, at the Foundary, Northern Welders, the Prince Albert Pulp Company, and for PS&E.    He operated his mobile welding business into the 90’s and travelled to many northern communities with a company from Saskatoon that installed water treatment systems.  

Mom and Dad’s original house from the farm was moved to Candle Lake to be used as a cabin.  Many happy hours and days were spent there with all members of the Salen family.  This lot on Waskateena Beach had been leased by Reider and Margaret early in their marriage, and in 1978 became the site of a newly constructed log cabin, built by Reider and Roy.  Dad retired there about 1993 and a whole new career of being the local handyman kept him busy.  Dad was good at so many trades, including carpentry and electrical.  He built many bunkhouses and was often called upon to fix many widows’ plumbing issues.  Mike Kenney and Dad were well known for their tree removal skills. Dad worked as the maintenance person for Camp Tapawingo for several years, and then for the Candle Lake Golf Resort as they expanded to their new location.  It was at Candle Lake that Dad met Ray and Carol Jones, who remained friends right up until Dad’s passing.  It was rare to have a visit with Dad without him asking about Ray, and then commenting “what a good guy he is!”  Another close friend and partner in crime was Ian Allen. Together they had several construction jobs, including chopping the boats out of ice at the Ships Lantern Marina.  

Dad made many special friends over the years.  If you were a friend of Dad’s, you were in his heart for life.  As part of a farming community there was no one who could not call on Dad for help and he was more than willing to share a beer, a game of cards, or a dance with you.  Dad was an avid hunter and spent many hours in the bush with friends Archie Brown, Brian Rude, Rod Leakey, his uncle Lorne Bailey, and his dad, Reider.  Dad loved to entertain and would often bring people home for supper, giving Edna but a few minutes notice that there were extras for supper.  There are so many black and white photos of gatherings at the farm with the men in their suits and the women in their shiny dresses with their pumps - the only time you were allowed to wear your shoes in the house was on New Year’s Eve!    The men brought their “mickeys” and some beer, and the women brought the lunch.  The turntable played many records of Merle Haggard, Patsy Cline, and other country & western artists.  Dad said at his 65th surprise birthday party that “if you measured a person’s wealth by the friends he gathered then indeed he was a very rich man”.  While it’s impossible to name all of Dad’s friends it must be said that the family members of the Heffernans, the Gordons, the Browns, the Braatens and the Leakeys were all especially dear to him.

Dad had a sly sense of humor and this persisted right into his “old age.”  He was so happy to have aged to celebrate turning  90 years old in December of 2023.  He was proud of all of his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and loved to tell people of their work ethic and their accomplishments.  

Dad passed in his sleep in Prince Albert on August 21, 2024.  The last years of Dad’s life were touched by Alzheimers Disease.  While he needed special care, he never once complained about this end of life fact, and enjoyed all the visits and calls he received from neighbors, friends and family while at Birchview and in the end at Herb Bassett Home.  

Roy is survived by his four children, Mitchell Salen (Pamela Carter-Squire), Warren Salen (Janette Salen), Lani Scragg (Alan Scragg), Colleen Kitter (Rod Kitter); his brother, Garry Salen; and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.  He was predeceased by his parents, Reider and Margaret; his brothers, Kenneth and Doug; and his sister, Shirley Attree.  

A Memorial Service will be held on Tuesday, August 27, 2024, at 11:00 a.m.  Please join the family via the livestream link provided https://youtube.com/live/0CjyyrByjEQ?feature=share Roy will be interred at Lake Park Cemetery at a later date.  In lieu of flowers, the family would gratefully accept words of remembrance on the Beaulac Funeral Home website, or donations to the Alzheimer's Society of Saskatchewan, 301-2550-12th Avenue, Regina, SK, S4P 3X1.  Family and friends wishing to send online condolences are welcome to visit http://www.beaulacfuneralhome.com  Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Beau “Lac” Funeral Home and Crematorium, Tracy-Lynn Lenchuk, Funeral Director, Prince Albert, SK 306-763-3322