As a relative newcomer to LNV, I was curious about and saddened to hear of Kelly Drader's sudden death. I thought I'd post his obituary here. Life is often too short, but can be rich indeed:
DRADER, Kelly Ivan
August 12, 1956 - Edmonton, AB
February 22, 2014 - Canmore, AB
Kelly Ivan Drader passed away suddenly on Saturday, February 22, 2014. The world has lost an irrepressible spirit, a loving husband of over 33 years, a doting father, a caring godfather, a brilliant business mind and a dear friend to so many. A native Albertan, Kelly grew up in Haysboro with sisters Debbie and Darcy and brothers Kevin and Dean. He was predeceased by his parents Don and Norma. He leaves behind his soul-mate and first and only dearest love Jan as well as two lovely and heartbroken daughters, Ginny (David) and Natalie. Kelly graduated from the University of Calgary with a Bachelor of Commerce and then articled and received his Chartered Accountant designation two years thereafter. After working for Touche Ross & Co. as an auditor, he entered the oil and gas industry with Westburne Petroleum rising to Treasurer. Never content to march to another's drum, he left Westburne to join what is now Enerplus Corporation in its infancy in 1987 and was instrumental in the remarkable growth and success of that organization for fourteen years. His ingenuity and passion for business are well documented. He and his mentor Marcel Tremblay, championed the Royalty Trust Model, growing Enerplus to be the flagship of the royalty trust fleet. Leaving his position as Senior Vice President of Enerplus in 2001, he sought a fresh challenge starting a new energy trust company, Advantage Oil & Gas Ltd. This was subsequently split into two entities, Advantage and Longview Oil Corp. Excited by the growth potential of Longview, Kelly was President and CEO of that company until his passing. The oil and gas business is a dynamic and ever-evolving industry and Kelly was an innovator who embraced those challenges with unflagging optimism. Somehow he always managed to see opportunity where many others could not. That refreshing energy and outlook remained undaunted over a career spanning 34 years. He was fond of saying, "I've been lucky, and the harder I work, the luckier I get." On the outside he was driven to succeed, unrelenting and imaginative in "getting the deal across the goal line", but inside he also had great compassion and cared deeply for the well- being of his employees. Kelly's approach to all facets of his life never changed. He lived life in overdrive with no rear-view mirror. Whether it was excelling at high school football, competing in minor and later adult hockey, winning a football scholarship at Treasure Valley Idaho, achieving a near perfect GPA at university, acing his CA exams, golfing and joking with his buddies at Willow Park, cross country skiing or hiking with his girls, preparing to be a grandfather, cheering on the Steelers and the Flames or ensuring that he and Jan visited each and every site of interest on every holiday, Kelly burned through life with unbridled enthusiasm and at a pace beyond the ability of most others. Beyond all of that however, and always first and foremost, he was a dedicated family man, deeply devoted and fiercely protective of his two daughters, proud as he could be of his new son-in-law, intensely excited about the impending arrival of his first grandchild and, to the end, hopelessly head over heels in love with Jan. -