Lealand Allen Lewis, 78, of Deep Brook, Nova Scotia, passed away peacefully at the Digby General Hospital on January 18, 2026. He was with his beloved wife of 45 years, Karen, and treasured daughter, Karlea.

Lealand was born in Rossway, Nova Scotia on September 24, 1947 and grew up in Gulliver's Cove where a boy could catch sea trout, play along the beach, and climb the cliffs. He was predeceased by parents Charles "Fred" Lewis and Luana (Height) Silcox as well as brother, Charles Lewis, and sister, Judith Marshall.

Karen was the love of his life and his greatest joy was being a father to Karlea. Besides his wife and daughter, Lealand is survived by his big brother, Richard (Yvonne) Lewis, mother-in-law, Marilyn Brown, sister-in-law, Kathryn Brown, and extended family members.

After graduating from Acadia University, Lealand went on to teach high school English at the Annapolis Royal Regional Academy and Annapolis West Education Centre. He was a dedicated educator who truly enjoyed his work. Lealand is fondly remembered by former students for writing and directing school plays, organizing variety shows, chaperoning school trips, and other extracurricular activities. Lealand couldn't go many places without someone calling him "Mr. Lewis" and reminiscing about their favourite teacher.

Lealand loved nature, sports, and being outdoors. He was an avid hunter and fisherman with many fond memories of Fisher Lake. He also enjoyed hiking, cross country skiing, swimming, canoeing, judo, badminton, frisbee, snowshoeing, and ice skating. He built Karen her dream home on Adams Hill and found great enjoyment from the abundance of wildlife in his own backyard. In his later years, he especially enjoyed watching the birds that visited his feeders.

Lealand was funny, generous, and sharp. A voracious reader, he was well known for his penchant for quoting poetry, literature, and plays (word for word and often decades after last reading the work he was quoting). Up until his final days, he was a gifted storyteller with many adventurous tales to share. His favourite stories to tell were about hunting, fishing, and the unidentified flying object he saw over the Bay of Fundy.

Lealand enjoyed traveling, with some of his favourite trips being to the UK, Bahamas, Bermuda, Mexico, Spain, and Morocco. He also loved road trips and picnics, especially with cherished friends Nancy and Brian Wear.

Lealand questioned things, had a strong sense of justice, and always stood up for what he believed in. He was also endlessly curious about the world (and beyond) and he always had so much knowledge to share. Those who loved him will keep his memory alive by living with integrity, intellectual curiosity, and a taste for adventure.

The family is grateful to the many dedicated healthcare professionals who provided compassionate care to Lealand as he faced growing health challenges in recent years, including Dr. Sylvie Aikman Green and Dr. Adam Clarke. The family extends a special thank you to Dr. Ken Buchholz for decades of excellent care.

Cremation has taken place through Kaulbach Family Funeral Home in Annapolis Royal. A celebration of life will take place at a later date. Donations in Lealand's memory may be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, the Ecology Action Centre, or the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens.

"That best portion of a good man's life, his little, nameless, unremembered, acts of kindness and of love." – William Wordsworth