A Life of Grit, Games, and the Open Road

With deep reflection on a life that covered many miles-both on the open road and through the seasons of family life-the family of Ivan Leroy Klam announces his passing on March 13, 2026, at the age of 92.

Ivan was born on March 24, 1933, in Battleford, Saskatchewan, where prairie life demanded resilience and responsibility from an early age. A Saskatchewan farm boy through and through, he spent many hours driving tractors, combines, and other farm equipment. He also carried the story of German ancestors who came to Canada from Russia. By the time he was nine years old, he was already driving a horse and buggy to take his two younger sisters to school-a small but telling glimpse of the grit and independence that would remain with him throughout his life. As a boy, he also knew the simple prairie joys of winter, including skating on the pond, long before the wider world opened up before him.

Known to many as Drivin' Ivan, he spent much of his career driving 18-wheelers across Canada and the United States while providing for his family. Proud of both the nickname and the life it represented, he even had it painted on the side of the semi truck he owned. Truck driving may not have been the path he once imagined, but he embraced the work and did what needed to be done. Over the years, the road asked a great deal of him, and more than once he faced the kind of danger that tested both skill and nerve.

Sports were another lifelong thread in Ivan's story. Hockey, in particular, held a special place in his heart, and those who knew him knew he brought both competitiveness and toughness to the game. One family story recalls a rough hockey game in which Ivan lost a tooth that slid across the ice-yet he simply kept playing. He was a tough old bird that way. Over the years, he also enjoyed golfing, curling, camping, hiking, and, in later life, many games of pool with his buddies at Kozy Korner in Lacombe.

A longtime friend from his college days recently shared a memory of golfing with Ivan and Doris on a little par-3 course in Yuma. On the final 60-yard hole, someone dared Ivan to use his putter. He did-and when the ball made the green, the whole group doubled over in laughter. It was the kind of moment that captured his playful spirit and the fun he and Doris shared with dear friends.

In his later years, Ivan spent many quiet and happy hours at the dining room table with a jigsaw puzzle spread out before him, studying each piece with patience and concentration until the scattered fragments slowly became a whole. It was a pastime he shared with his daughter and great-granddaughter, and those puzzle sessions became meaningful family moments.

Ivan shared 72 years of marriage with his wife, Doris Ruth (Ellison) Klam, whom he married on September 27, 1953, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Together they built a life that took them across Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Washington State before settling in Lacombe, where they made their home for nearly five decades. Their house became a gathering place for family, stories, laughter, and Doris's many legendary pies and desserts, all made with the same generosity she brought to the people she loved.

On their 50th wedding anniversary, when asked the secret to a happy marriage, Doris answered, "Marry a truck driver," and Ivan replied, "Marry someone who makes good pies."

Ivan and Doris shared a love of travel and adventure that carried them far beyond home. Together they explored much of western Canada and the United States in their camper trailer, made many trips to Florida to visit family, and created memories in Yuma, Arizona, where they joined fellow Canadian snowbirds in friendship, laughter, and sunshine. Their travels also took them to the Maritimes, New England, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, the West Indies, Ireland, England, France, Holland, Germany, Italy, Spain, Greece, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Fiji, Australia, and New Zealand. Whether travelling north of the 60th parallel or across the ocean, Ivan and Doris embraced every opportunity to see more of the world together. Among their many memorable experiences was an evening at the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the Sydney Opera House in August 1991.

Their journey to Africa remained one of the most meaningful experiences of their lives. Guided by their friend Eric Rajah of A Better World Canada, they were grateful for the opportunity to witness firsthand the work being done to build schools, orphanages, and medical facilities for children and families in Africa. One of Ivan's favorite memories from that trip was an up-close encounter with a rhino. He loved to say that the rhino looked him straight in the eye for a while and then simply went back to "mowing the grass." It was a moment of wonder that stayed with him.

Those who knew Ivan also knew he had a playful side. A joker and prankster by nature, he appreciated a well-timed bit of mischief, and it somehow feels fitting that he chose Friday the 13th to make his final exit.

Ivan is remembered by his daughters, Lynnetta Klam and Carla Howard; his grandchildren, Taneil (Quinn) Hagerty, Kyle (Jessie) Klam, and Ashley (Mathew) Davis; and his great-grandchildren, Brody Whitecotton, Kenzie Klam, Khloe Klam, Easton Hagerty, Dakota Klam, and Jacob Davis, who carry forward the many stories, strengths, and complexities of his life. He is also remembered by his sisters, Gerry Davis and Carol (Tom) Seifert, both of Florida; and by his brother, Ted (Joan) Klam, of British Columbia.

The family is especially grateful for the care, visits, and support shown in Ivan's final days by his nephew Mick Klam, son of his late brother Byron; by his brother-in-law Lew Fleck and his nephew Rod Fleck, husband and son of Ivan's late sister Marlene Fleck, who was also dearly loved by Doris as a sister; by extended family members John Gain and Jaimie McNab, who remain cherished parts of the family; and by Ojos, Lynnetta's faithful dog, formerly a Mexican street dog, whose quiet presence brought comfort right to the bedside.

Ivan was predeceased by his beloved wife, Doris Ruth (Ellison) Klam; his parents, Carl and Esther Klam; his parents-in-law, Fred and Edith Ellison; his brothers-in-law, Sidney Ellison and George Ellison; and by members of the Klam family who went before him, including Byron Klam, Marlene Fleck, Christopher Klam, and Cole Klam.

Though his road has reached its final destination, the miles he travelled, the games he enjoyed, the puzzles he solved, and the life he helped build remain woven into the family he leaves behind.

His family finds comfort imagining that somewhere beyond the horizon, Ivan has reunited with Doris-perhaps pausing from a puzzle long enough to take her hand and step once more onto the dance floor before sitting down together to enjoy one of her legendary pies.

A joint Celebration of Life for Ivan and Doris will be held on June 12, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. at College Heights Seventh-day Adventist Church, 6910 University Drive, Lacombe, Alberta. A continued gathering of family and friends will be held on June 13, 2026, at Gull Lake Community Hall, 27 Lake View Avenue, Bentley, Alberta. Further details to come.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to A Better World Canada, so that the shared legacy of compassion Ivan and Doris valued so deeply may continue to brighten lives around the world.