Leona, or Lea as she preferred to be called, was born to Adeline and Otto Schmalz on March 18, 1936 in the district of Brightholme, SK. She passed away on Friday, July 21, 2023 in Red Deer, AB.
Lea spent her first thirteen years on the family farm in Brightholme. Her elementary school years were at Mount Teviot School within that district. After her father passed away in 1949, the family relocated to the town of Shellbrook, SK where she attended high school. Afterwards she enrolled in business college in Prince Albert, SK.
Upon graduation, Lea worked as a medical records secretary at the Victoria Hospital in Prince Albert. She then moved to Regina and did secretarial work at Burns Meats. In 1955 she relocated to Red Deer, where she first worked for the RCMP and then as a public school secretary. After 21 years with the RDPSD she decided to retire, so in June 1985 Lea covered her typewriter for the last time.
During retirement, Lea and her husband Norm Bergdal spent seventeen winters in sunny Arizona. They thoroughly enjoyed their lifestyle along with making many new friends, but they did miss their family and looked forward to returning home in the spring to be with their children and grandchildren.
Lea loved music, arts and crafts, and especially sports. She enjoyed softball, downhill skiing, curling, golf, and watching CFL on TV. Most of all, she enjoyed being with her family.
Lea and Norm were married in 1956 in Calgary. They had two wonderful children, Lori (David) Nicholson of Red Deer and Rod (Carole) Bergdal of Creston, B.C. Lea and Norm also loved their three grandsons: Derek Bergdal, Kyle Nicholson, and Joel Nicholson.
Lea is survived by sister Elfrieda of Calgary, AB and brother Dennis of Kelowna, B.C. She was predeceased by her parents, brothers Ernest and Lloyd, daughter Shelley, and husband John Norman.
At Lea’s request there will be a private memorial with family at her interment. If you so choose, Lea requested that donations in memoriam be made on her behalf to diabetes research at the University of Alberta through the Alberta Diabetes Foundation (www.albertadiabetesfoundation.com). Thank you to all who knew Lea.

• Date : 2023-07-21
• Location : Red Deer Funeral Home