Kalju Leis was born August 16, 1928 in Hiiuma Estonia and passed in Goderich Ontario on December 29, 2019. He is survived by his two children, Lisa(Niglas) and Ralph and their immediate families.
Kalju was the youngest of a large Estonian family. He came to Canada via Sweden in 1950 and settled in Toronto where he worked with the TD Bank for almost 40 years. During his career he was a strong and tenacious contributor who introduced innovative banking solutions and cost savings.
Kalju was very involved in the Estonian community as a member of sports and social clubs. He believed in contributing and volunteered his time in leadership positions. Even into his retirement, Kalju was contacted by Canadian Executives Overseas (CESO) to help set up Estonia’s new payment/banking system.
Kalju met his wife Ingrid at an Estonian dance and they married in 1954. They were together for over 50 years until his beloved Ingi passed away in his arms losing her battle to cancer.
He had a strong sense of family and hosted guests from across the world, keeping in touch with everyone he met on his life journey. His island retreat on Lake Muskoka was a treasured place for friends and family to come together.
Later in his life, as health concerns developed, Kalju moved to Goderich Ontario to be with his daughter Lisa, who lovingly cared for him, making him happy and comfortable until the end.
Kalju will always be remembered as a kind, generous soul with a good sense of humour who was loved by many.
Memorial Service to be held at York Funeral Centre, 160 Beecroft Road, Toronto Ontario, Saturday January 11, 2020 @ 10:30 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Alexandra Marine & General Hospital Foundation in Goderich (www.amghfoundation.ca).