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In memory of those who have Crossed the Bar
METCALFE, Samuel Leon - It is with profound sadness and a deep sense of loss that the family of Samuel Leon Metcalfe announce his passing on November 6, 2024, after a brief battle with cancer.
Known as Leon to most of his blood relatives and as Sam to most of his military family, Leon was born on March 20, 1968, in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, NL, and raised in Main Brook, NL where he first developed his love of all things outdoors. Leon was a proud Inuk and proud sailor with the Royal Canadian Navy for 26 years. However, he was most proud of being a dad to Jesse, Levi, James, and Jacob. While he reveled in getting under someone’s skin, pushing the limits of doing what it took to make everyone laugh and generally being a professional pain in the arse, he was generous and genuine to a fault. He gave his all to raising his children, tormenting everyone around him and going out of his way to help anybody do darn near anything. Following his retirement as PO1 aboard the HMCS Halifax, Leon did not stray far from the Navy and continued his career with Lockheed Martin where he assisted the company with development of and training on the very systems he’d spent his life operating as a NESOP onboard vessels such as HMCS Restigouche, HMCS Preserver, HMCS Terra Nova, HMCS Montreal and HMCS Iroquois. While at Lockheed Martin he was particularly thrilled when the engineers would bring him the “unbreakable” version of some system or other only to have him break it in a matter of minutes. Turns out he was gifted in this area as well. His 26 years of service provided Sam with opportunities to travel far and wide and raise havoc in countries and ports the world over. It gave him some of his best days and some of his worst. While not a frequent topic of discussion, Sam was among the contingent onboard HMCS Preserver that were first on scene to respond to the Swissair Flight 111 tragedy off Peggy’s Cove, NS. This event marked the darkest days of his career, but his rock-solid perseverance and personality helped him through these times.
In the military Sam forged lifelong relationships with his shipmates, too many to mention by name, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t tip a hat to Stu MacElwain, Sam’s brother from another mother, and his fellow partner in crime, Jason Trepanier. While Leon dedicated his life to his profession and his family, he found time to pursue many hobbies and interests. He loved a day in his kayak fishing for trout and stripers, or a day in the field after ducks, deer or coyotes. He was fortunate to have also spent time in his home province wetting a line in pursuit of Atlantic salmon, traveling around Anaktalak Bay near Nain hunting white partridge and trying to jig a few Arctic char through the thick lake ice; traipsing around the bogs, bush and barrens of the Great Northern Peninsula looking for caribou and moose, or plying the waters of Trinity Bay, jigging cod and hunting seals. A skilled leather worker and knife maker, he created beautiful and functional mementos that will be forever cherished. Leon also knew his way around a kitchen and could whip up some deadly and creative dishes. Most recently, he dabbled in bottling meats and sauces, no doubt a legacy hobby from his time as a young boy when he was adept at bottling farts to release later in the midst of some enclosed space much to the horror of his incapacitated victims.
Predeceased by his father Samuel E. Metcalfe (Hebron, Labrador) Leon leaves to mourn his life partner of 37 years, Suzanne Dillabough; his amazing children, of whom he was so proud: Jesse, James (Jessica), Jacob (Seanna) and Levi (Lee); his mother, Mae Metcalfe and her partner George Penney; his siblings Sherry Metcalfe and her partner Bill, Trudy Metcalfe and her partner Phil Coe and Leroy Metcalfe and his wife Sharon; and a long list of shipmates, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews – particularly his buddies Stu MacElwain, Jason Trepanier, Jim Mutch and special cousin Elsie Jenkins.
The family is forever grateful to the Naval Community and his cohorts at LM Co. for their outpouring of support. As well, a special thank you to Amie and the crew at Creative Cup for their kindness, friendship and providing Sam with his daily fix of coffee and soup. The scariest little man in the navy apparently had many, many friends.
Cremation has taken place. A Celebration of Life will be held Friday, November 15, Noon to 16:00 at Atlantic Funeral Home, 771 Main Street, Dartmouth. (Top of the hill, up from 767 Main Street). Leon was never one for formality and stuffiness, dress comfortably. All plaid or camo are welcome. Everybody has a Sam / Leon story, please come and share, we’d love to hear them all. In lieu of flowers the family would appreciate donations in Sam’s/Leon’s honour to the Nova Scotia ground Search and Rescue Association. (Atlantic Funeral Home)
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