OLDS — A celebration of Life was held Friday, Sept. 29 at the First Baptist Church for one of Olds’ most dedicated volunteers, former Olds Fire Department Chief Leonard Brandson.
Brandson passed away on Sept. 12 at age 80 after a battle with cancer.
Born on the farm in Stauffer, near Caroline, Brandson moved first to Innisfail, then to Olds in 1968.
In Olds, he worked at an agricultural dealership and later partnered with Lynn Lamb on a Bumper to Bumper car repair and vehicle sales business.
Brandson joined the Olds Fire Department in 1967 and remained a member for more than 50 years, until 2000.
During that time he rose to deputy fire chief, then fire chief, replacing Terry Dodd. He remained in that position from 1988 through the year 2000, when Olds hired its first full-time fire chief.
In 2018, in recognition of his years of service, Brandson received the Fire Exemplary Service Medal, presented by then Lt. Gov. Lois Mitchell.
The fire department was just one aspect of Brandson’s volunteerism.
He was also a member of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #105 in Olds, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, the Olds & District Evergreen Centre and a past member of Olds Citizens on Patrol.
Brandson and his first wife Margaret also formed the Central Alberta chapter of Muscular Dystrophy Canada in 1989.
“It was amazing that Leonard stayed active as a member for an additional 20 years after he stepped aside as chief, providing invaluable experience and mentorship during those years,” an Olds Fire Department statement issued after he died said.
“Mr. Brandson was an amazing individual who was dedicated to his family, the town and the fire department. His legacy as a volunteer will live on in the lives he touched and the many firefighters he mentored,” the statement added.
Current fire chief and protective services director Justin Andrew became a volunteer for the Olds Fire Department in 1996 and knew Brandson well. The Albertan reached out to him for his for his thoughts about his former boss.
In an emailed statement, Andrew said his memories of Brandson go all the way back to his childhood when his parents would drive to the service station.
“The man that wore the funny hat (mechanic’s beanie) would always come and say hello in a friendly manner,” Andrew wrote.
“This sums up who Leonard Brandson was, as he always said ‘hello,’ and I don't ever recall him not having the time of day for someone who crossed his path, friend or stranger.”
Brandson's impact in the fire department was equally memorable.
“Leonard was a quiet leader who always was there and allowed people to operate with minimal gentle guidance,” Andrew wrote.
“The important thing to know about Leonard's time as fire chief was that he was chosen by the members to be chief. He wasn't hired or appointed; he was elected by his peers.”
Andrew added that Brandson was “our chief until he knew it was time for him to step aside as the needs of the department grew.”
“There are no words for people who are dedicated so much to something that even when it comes to their demotion, they embrace and support it because it makes what they are passionate about better," Andrew added.
“That was Leonard's impact on our department and speaks to the person he was.
“Leonard was the last volunteer fire chief of the Olds Fire Department, but I see him as the first to recognize that with all things, change is needed, and that he advocated that the community needed more, and the members needed more, and we would be set on a path of success in doing so.
“I know that I am only one person of many who had the privilege of working with Leonard on this fire department and can say that his legacy will continue, as we share the stories and experiences that he gave us in his service.”
