Dr. John Hudson Beardsworth 1925 - 2013 Dr. John Beardsworth passed away at the Innisfail Rosefield Care Centre on Monday, June 10, 2013 at the age of 87 years. John was born in Kinoulton, England and his family immigrated to Canada in 1926, homesteading in the Turtleford area of Saskatchewan. The family expanded over the next few years with the arrival of Phil and Joyce, and later the arrival of Roger. The older kids attended Brooksdale School, making the three mile journey by foot, horseback and in the winter, by horsedrawn sleigh. John completed grade 9 at Brooksdale, and began working as a farm hand for his father and then for various other farmers in the Mervin and Edam areas of Saskatchewan. At the age of 18 he joined the RCMP and spent 5 years in the force at various postings, most of which were located in the Northwest Territories and involved lengthy and lonely patrols by dogsled. A posting in Montreal was memorable as it involved providing security for President Harry Truman while addressing the Canadian parliament in 1947. During his years in the RCMP he completed grades 10 and 11 by correspondence, and in 1948 was granted an honorable discharge to attend full time school at Saskatoon Collegiate Technical, where he completed grade 12. He was accepted in to medical school in Saskatoon in 1950. John and Jocelyn were married in 1953 and together they moved to Montreal where their son Joe was born and John completed his medical degree at McGill, graduating in 1955. During the summers while attending university, John worked for the Hudson Bay Company Transportation Division, loading barges in Fort McMurray and delivering supplies to Fort Smith in the Northwest Territories. John’s first few years following graduation were spent practicing medicine in Regina and Lashburn, Saskatchewan. While in Lashburn, sons David and Don were born in the Lloydminster Hospital. John and Jocelyn made many great friends and were heavily involved in the community and social scene in Lashburn. John obtained his pilot’s license and spent many enjoyable hours flying, hunting, fishing and playing poker till the early morning hours with his local group of friends. In 1961, John and Jocelyn moved to Innisfail where he joined the Associate Clinic. John’s early years of practice in Innisfail involved being on call 24 hours a day for weeks on end, frequent house calls which sometimes took him as far as Caroline, performing surgery and delivering babies on a daily basis, and, acting as family counsellor when required. In addition, he was a coroner and volunteered his time with the Autumn Glen Lodge, Hospital and numerous other committees and boards. John and Jocelyn had many friends and enjoyed travelling and an active social life. Dancing, ski trips, cruises, Grey Cup parties and time spent with friends in Arizona were among their fondest memories. John had a great love for flying. He was part owner of a small plane and a member of the Innisfail Flying Club. In the late 1960’s, John and Jocelyn leased a lot at Burnstick Lake and built a log cabin. The cabin provided many years of family enjoyment. In later years after selling the cabin, Jocelyn finally convinced him to buy a place at Sylvan Lake. The Sylvan Lake cottage was a major part of their lives providing many years of family gatherings and enjoyment. He always had farming in his system and purchased a quarter section of land west of town in the early 1970’s. This gave him a place to tinker, do some hobby farming, store some ‘prized possessions’ and walk his dogs. John read and studied constantly while relaxing at home, keeping abreast of the latest current events and medical advances. In addition, he collected coins, played chess, was an avid photographer and enjoyed his monthly poker nights with a few buddies. He was always a great inspiration and provided guidance, support and advice to his sons, daughters-in law and grandchildren. They are all very proud of his accomplishments and thankful to have been a part of his life. John is survived by three sons: Joe (Debbie) of Cochrane, David (Gloria) and Don (Pam) both of Innisfail, brother Roger (Maxine) of North Battleford and sister Joyce (Walt) of Saskatoon. He is also survived by eight grandchildren: Melanie, Lauren, and Audra Beardsworth; Alexa (Jeff) Blish and Casi Beardsworth; and Grayson, Chance and Landon Beardsworth. He was predeceased by his wife Jocelyn in 2000, his brother Phil (Nan) in 1999, his father John in 1988 and mother Doris in 1986. A Celebration of John’s Life will be held at the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch #104, Innisfail, Alberta on Tuesday, June 18 at 2:00 p.m. If friends so desire, memorial tributes may be made to the Innisfail Ladies Hospital Auxiliary. Heartland Funeral Services Ltd., Innisfail entrusted with arrangements. 403.227.0006. www.heartlandfuneralservices.com