My name is Sharon McLeay and I was one of Joseph Gerald Lafferty’s many lady friends. I was privileged to live with him for about ten years and share his friendship for 18 years. I called him Joe and he was my guardian angel as he came into my life at a very dark time of my own life. He brought me stability, protection, love and laughter and introduced me to his Metis culture.

Joe loved music, cars, his children, good food, and laughter. Some of us find it hard to roll out of bed in the morning, but Joe always got up anticipating what a new day would bring.

He was born in Yorkton Saskatchewan in 1953, eldest son to parents Armand and Marie Lafferty. He had many stories of his life on the farm. Riding in horse drawn wagons, Gathering ice, firewood and unloading fish trucks that would come by the farm, stealing fresh pies off the window sill that Marie would put out to cool, and the bull that sent his mother screaming ‘me culottes’ after a bull that had eaten her pantaloons off the wash line. He later lived with his Lafferty grandparents because it placed him closer to school and he loved them very much. He enjoyed working in the garden with them.

As a teen, he was a bit of a terror around Yorkton. He would drive fast cars and party in the countryside with his friends. He told me about rigging up a portable 45 record player in his car, so they could have music to dance to under the stars and later playing in a band that entertained everyone at parties.

He liked to play harmless jokes. One time he dressed up as a street walker and strolled in front of his mother’s house. She was so vexed, she was going to call the police until she found out it was just another of Joes practical jokes.

His cars were his pride and joy. He would wheel and deal to buy as sell any vehicle that caught his fancy and found some great vehicles for friends and family too. He always kept them well maintained, (something he learned from his Dad) and clean. When he would travel the road, instead of looking at the scenery, he would look for old cars hidden in the trees or farmer’s fields.

Joe loved his kids and had no problem extending that love to their friends. While he never had much money, he always made sure he was there for his kids when they were lonely or needed to talk. He said there was nothing too bad that a good meal and a hug couldn’t help. One memory is him shooting his false teeth across the table to amuse his grandchildren. It never failed to startle them and get them laughing.

Joe had many talents.

He was always a hard worker. He worked as a radiator  mechanic, an ironworker, highway maintenance patrol on Deerfoot trail, and drove big machinery in the oil patch . He had a hand in laying foundations and steel work for many buildings in Calgary, and pointed them out to everyone on trips to town. Ironwork was not for the lazy or weak and he spent many cold days working with his collegue Cec Bailey. He tried to pass that work ethic onto his children too.

There was one story when he worked Deerfoot trail where a vacuum cleaner had fallen off a truck and was a hazard to traffic. He described darting out into traffic to take it off the road, grabbing it by the cord, and hauling it pell-mell to the other side, while traffic zipped around him.

He was a good cook and often helped put on big meals for extended family and contributed to meals put on at Metis functions. He made many friends in the Calgary Metis society. He also contributed music to those functions. He could sing and play a mean guitar and had the ability to play music with anyone who might want to sit down and jam. His favorite though was playing at house parties.

I don’t know why God chose to take Joe away from us so suddenly. Perhaps he needed a good guitar player for heavenly choirs, or it was so somber up there and God needed someone to liven up the place. His physical presence will be missed ,but he remains in everyone’s heart and memories down here.