LEIPER, Mary Rampaire

November 24, 1942 — June 5, 2026

Mary was born in 1942 in New Westminster, BC, in a taxi outside BC Penitentiary. She was one of four children born to her beloved parents, affectionately known as Buba and Granny. Mary grew up on a dairy farm and remained there until she married Sadhu Brar.

Together, Mary and Sadhu raised two children, Devi and Raji. In 1967, the family’s fortunes took an exciting turn when Mary won the PNE Show Home. They made their home in Langley, where they lived until Sadhu’s passing in 1982.

After the family home was sold, Mary and her children stayed with Buba and Granny until she was able to purchase a townhouse in Coquitlam. During this time, Mary built an impressive career and became the first female Indo-Canadian employed by the Ministry of Labour. She was a true pioneer in her field, breaking barriers and earning the respect of colleagues throughout her career.

Mary later accepted a position as a Labour Relations Officer in Prince George. Although her two children remained in Coquitlam, she embraced this opportunity with determination and courage. In Prince George, she developed a wonderful circle of friends and became highly respected within the BCGEU and the Government of British Columbia.

Mary later remarried Jim Leiper and found happiness and companionship once again. Following Jim’s passing and her retirement, she returned to the Lower Mainland to spend time with her mother.

In 2012, Mary experienced the heartbreaking loss of her eldest daughter, Devi, who passed away from breast cancer. This profound loss deeply affected her, yet she continued to demonstrate remarkable strength and resilience.

In 2015, Mary moved to Lake Country, where she lived with her daughter Raji and son-in-law Barry. She enjoyed life on the farm, surrounded by sheep and more than 200 chickens. Mary found great joy in painting, baking, crafting, and gardening. She loved looking out her window at the pine trees and mountains. She especially loved watching the newborn lambs and could spend hours enjoying their playful antics. She shared her creativity and generosity with others, often giving away her homemade baked goods and paintings to family, friends, and neighbours.

Mary will be remembered for her strength, determination, pioneering spirit, and deep love for her family and friends. Her legacy lives on in the many lives she touched and in the memories cherished by all who knew her.

Thank you for the endless love, the sacrifices you made, and the beautiful home you created. You will be deeply missed.

We love you always.

Mary was predeceased by her first husband, Sandhu Singh Brar; her second husband, James “Jim” Leiper; her daughter Devinder “Devi” Kaur Brar; her mother, Skutla “Granny” Lal; her father, Mohan “Buba” Lal; her brother, Harida Lal, and her brother-in-law, Gurprem Brar.

She is survived by her daughter, Rajvinder “Raj” Rhodes (Barry); her sisters Doreen Sharma and Sheila Bajwa (Bill) and her nieces and nephews David and Michael; her sister-in-law, Linda Lal and niece Mindi Lazlo and family; her nephew, Diljinder Brar; her nieces Ruby Brar and Kiran Nagra, and their families; her auntie, Sylvia Mohal and family; Dwarka, Sat Tal, Surinder Paul Sharma and families; as well as the Brar, Kalsi, Sharma, Muchalla, Shori, Kinga, Ram, and Singhs (of California) families. She will also be dearly missed by her close friends Martin MacCormick, Terry Hedges, and Marina Stevens. And finally, Mary leaves behind her beloved cat, “Cat”.

A special thanks to doctors Ketch, Nash, and Michaud, as well as the entire team on Kelowna General Hospital’s 3M unit who took such good care of her.

An opportunity to view and say goodbye to Mary will be held on Saturday, June 13, 2026, from 10:00 – 11:00 AM (PT), in a visitation room at Springfield Funeral Home, 2020 Springfield Road, Kelowna, BC. All are invited to go to the Gurdwara Guru Amardas Darbar Sikh Society (220 Davie Road, Kelowna) for a short prayer and Langar.

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