Eric McLean Leyland
1997 – 2020

It is with broken hearts that Eric’s family announces his sudden passing in Calgary, Alberta on Saturday, December 12, 2020 at the age of 23.

Eric was born on a warm sunny May 10, 1997 to a very proud Tara Kallis and David Leyland at the Foothills Hospital in Calgary. He lived in a Condo located in Glammorgan, southwest of Calgary for the first six months of his life. A beautiful baby boy, he was a delight to all, already so strong he would look searchingly around even when cuddling with mom. He then moved to another condo located about a block away where he had his own bedroom. That is where he took his first steps at 10 months old and had his first birthday. He entertained many a guest with his exuberant and adorable personality. At the age of two Eric moved to live in a house in the Dalhousie subdivision of Calgary. More than once he made a run for it down the street in nothing but a pair of navy rubber boots and a diaper. During this time he attended a day home two half days a week that he continued to speak about for years to come. He would spend the odd overnight entertaining Grandparents in Millerville with horses and Kananaskis with cookies. He would hug every person that he encountered. Even those he would pass by while walking with his mom. Being the love of his mother’s life, she was happy to be tucked in by him if she had a nap. Off he would toddle to get his own blankie that he would tuck around her and soothers that he would place in her mouth with a gentle pudgy hand pat and kisses on her cheek. Just as he got when going to sleep. At the age of 5 Eric moved to the Mackenzie Lake subdivision in South East Calgary where he spent many a summer day running up and down the cul de sac with the neighbourhood full of kids. That same year he fell in love with his new dog Willow. Eric's life was blessed with a sister with the birth of Kate in 2003. During this time he was attending Kindergarten in Mackenzie Lake School. In 2003 he moved into a condo in Mackenzie Town and was blessed with a brother with the birth of Rogan. Eric then moved to Lampman where he found he had the run of the town. Jane was born in 2005 adding another lovely sister. Eric travelled back and forth to Calgary, regaling his family with his stories. In 2006, at the age of 9, He moved into Estevan where he went to Westview School and joined the Princess Patricia Light Infantry Band where he went on to win awards at competitions in Moose Jaw and Regina and attended Honour Band trips from ages 12 to 16 in a few provinces. In 2007, Eric's family was completed with the birth of another beautiful brother, Kaid. Home schooled at age 10, Eric excelled in mathematics, and was very creative. Eric spent many hours creating many wood and electronic projects in the family workshop and in the house loved to create crafts and cards of love. He created these for others and was very pleased to to share and eagerly presented these as gifts to his family. He purchased his brother’s cameras as a Christmas gift and they were enamoured of that so much they took pictures of everything and made videos of each other. He made music for his bother Rogan as requested when Rogan liked the music Eric was listening to while living in Hawaii. Eric loved cars and racing and would spend time learning about others through movies and documentaries. Eric enjoyed his brothers and sisters and his Dog Willow’s company very much and they would spend many hours playing together. Eric would spend hours building lego and was very proud of his collection. Eric joined the Estevan Sluggers Baseball team at 11 and spent the summer playing baseball with friends and teammates. A lover of soccer, Eric joined the soccer club through Estevan Comprehensive School at 15 and practiced and travelled to games in Weyburn and Regina as well as at home in Estevan. Eric was very happy when drumming, he practiced on his drum pad at the dining room table at any hour of the day. He would compose his own scores on his snare drum and he played with a musicality and rhythm that delighted his mother and extended family and anyone else who went to watch him. Eric spent many an hour being very curious about how something mechanical worked. His adventurous and humorous personality went with him everywhere and his sensitive and sharp sense of humour entertained many. Eric enjoyed flying his mini helicopters with his brothers. One Christmas he was so eager to try his gift, it took off and immediately hit the ceiling - new parts were required immediately. At 14 Eric got his first job at the concession stand at the Leisure Center. There he would serve customers and prepare food. He spent time at the family farm riding around in grain trucks and learned to drive the old 1980’s Jeep. At 15 and again at 16 he spent a few months in Hawaii with his family where he made new friends, practised karate with Sensai Mikey proudly showing his skills. He was particularly fond of driving the moped around Kona and body boarding at Hapuna Beach. He would go off with friends and hike the rainforest wood trails on the Big Island many a sunny day. He shingled a few houses one summer with his dad Tim and a friend and then began working at Staples Office Supply. He excelled at selling computers and even worked in the back to repair them. He was commended for highest sales many months running. At the age of 17, Eric moved to Calgary to attend School at Winston Churchill. Eventually Eric attended SAIT where he was enrolled in culinary. He made an excursion to Spain as part of the culinary course. The following summer he applied for and accepted a culinary job at Mission Ridge Winery in Kelowna. Eric took a great sense of pleasure in preparing food for others to enjoy and refining his skill. Eric spent part of a spring enjoying the culture of Costa Rica with his grandparents, showing off his love of culinary and enjoying the beach. Eric, admiring the skills in others, immediately went to speak to a man he saw crafting his own surfboard. In the summer of 2018, he was excited to purchase a Duccati motorcycle and self taught himself to drive with a few scratches and dents along the way. He went on over the years to travel the roads and explore on his Duccati and to cook in Regina, Calgary, Banff, Jasper, and Canmore. Eric, always loving, caring and sensitive would call and inquire on how mom and family was doing. Eric loved games of all kinds, playing chess, rummy, board games and scrabble with Eric was always fun. Not one to take the games too seriously, Eric still may have had a competitive edge on those he played with, bright as he is.

Due to the ongoing restrictions on gatherings, a private family Funeral Service was held on Sunday, December 20, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. in the Chapel of Hall Funeral Services, Estevan, Saskatchewan, with Sandy Dalziel officiating.

Those wishing to make donations in Eric’s memory may do so to a charity of their choosing.

Hall Funeral Services in Estevan provided care to Eric’s family – Dustin Hall, Funeral Director.