Lesley Read Death, Obituary – On behalf of everyone here at WorkSafeBC, we would like to extend our sincerest sympathies to Lesley’s family and friends following her passing on January 29 at the age of 79. Lesley Lambert was born in Blackpool, England on April 20, 1943. Her parents, Jack and Olga Lambert, who have both since died away, were her parents. Beautiful Sheryl, Lesley’s daughter, had preceded her mother in death and was able to join her cherished parents in the hereafter.
Lesley is survived by her husband of 59 years, John Read, her three daughters Christine Read, Suzy Read (Donnie Comeau), and Julie (Malcolm) Cole, seven grandchildren, Ashley (Leah), Natasha, Jessica, Devon, Christian, Ava, and Read, and five great grandchildren. In addition, Lesley is buried next to her husband in a cemetery in the town where she was born. In addition to this, Lesley was proceeded in death by both of her parents as well as her two brothers.
Lesley never missed an opportunity to talk about her upbringing in England, particularly the times she spent having adventures and getting into mischief with her cousin Paul, who was more like a brother to her, and the extended hikes in the Lake District that she used to do with her father. She would never fail to bring a grin to her face whenever she brought up those events. Lesley attended the University of Birmingham, where she also finished the remaining requirements for her undergraduate study.
There, she was awarded a Bachelor of Social Sciences degree. Her study culminated in the attainment of a Master of Arts degree in transpersonal psychology during her latter years. Shortly after their wedding, they uprooted their lives and moved to the United States. Subsequently, they crossed the Atlantic Ocean and settled in Sackville, Nova Scotia, in Canada, where they have remained as long-term residents for the past 57 years.
Throughout her 35-year career as a social worker for Family and Children Services and her counselling work at Cumberland Community Home in Oxford, Lesley was compelled by a strong desire to assist individuals in achieving their own individual recovery. This desire drove her in both of these endeavors. In addition to that, she offered her time to work in palliative care and led a large number of counseling sessions, both one-on-one and in groups, as well as sessions on therapeutic and healing touch.
When a friend or neighbor was in a difficulty, she was the one who would always rush to their aid, whether they were friends or neighbors. Lesley’s favorite things to do when she wasn’t working or helping were to create lovely watercolor paintings, tend to her garden, play bridge or any other card game in which she had a chance to win, and spend time at the cabin with her family. Whenever there was a stray dog in the neighborhood, you could always find Lesley not too far away. She had a rabbit, a number of fish, three dogs, and two cats at one point in time.