In Celebration of
Leonard Meadwell
November 29, 1950 - October 23, 2025
It is with great sadness, we share that Leonard George Meadwell (“Len”) passed away peacefully on the morning of October 23, 2025, at Trillium Hospital in Mississauga. He was 74.
Born in Toronto, Ontario, on November 29, 1950, Len built a long and respected career as a senior advertising executive and brand strategist. He was known for his intelligence, creativity, high standards, and his ability to bring clarity to complicated situations. He understood people, what mattered to them, and what they were trying to achieve. But work was never what he loved most.
The centre of Len’s world was his wife and best friend, Sharon. Together they built a life that was warm, steady, playful, and full of laughter. Days were spent hunting for the perfect décor piece at their favourite stores around Toronto; lounging around the pool and walking down 5th Avenue in Naples, Florida; quiet days at the cottage on Lake of Bays; cutting the lawn together on their two lawn tractors; Friday nights out at the Boiler Room and the Clarkson Pump & Patio; and then music at home with a slow dance in the living room. They were true partners.
Len was a proud and loving dad to his son, Brian (Lindsay) and his daughter, Kelly (Chris). He wasn’t just a father. He was a mentor, a safe place, and constant support. He listened, he encouraged, and he made sure his kids always knew they were believed in and loved.
Becoming “Papa” was his greatest joy. He adored his grandchildren: Jackson, Mackenzie, Carter, Grayson, and Olivia. They were his pride and his happiness. If you knew Len, you knew about his grandkids.
Len had a big heart. He helped people quietly. If someone needed support, he gave it. He was steady and strong, but underneath was a deeply caring, sensitive man who loved his people and worried about them. He wanted everyone he loved to be okay.
He was also funny. He had an amazing sense of humour and a way of cutting tension with one line. He loved to laugh at his own jokes, which only made everyone else laugh harder.
Len is survived by his wife, Sharon Meadwell (née Russell); his son, Brian Meadwell, wife Lindsay and their three sons Jackson, Mackenzie and Carter, and his daughter, Kelly Straus (née Meadwell), husband Chris and their children Grayson and Olivia. He is also survived by his brother, John Meadwell, and his wife, Karen, and their sons, Kevin and Ryan, as well as by his in-laws and dear friends, Carolyn and Darryl Burton, and their children, Danna, Jeff, and Joey. Many of Len’s happiest memories were made with them over the years at the cottage: kids waterskiing and tubing, BBQs and bonfires, boat rides, and late-night fishing in the Vernon Narrows.
He will also be lovingly remembered by Sharon’s brothers and sister and their families — the late Tom Russell and his son Jason (Laura); Sylvia Fenton (Peter) and sons Paul, James, and Matthew; and Ted Russell (Irene) and children Ryan and Jessica.
He was predeceased by his parents, Leslie and Violet Meadwell, who gave him the values he carried his whole life: work hard, love your people, do the right thing.
A celebration of Len’s life will be held at a later date, with details to follow.
He will be deeply missed, endlessly loved, and never forgotten.
Born in Toronto, Ontario, on November 29, 1950, Len built a long and respected career as a senior advertising executive and brand strategist. He was known for his intelligence, creativity, high standards, and his ability to bring clarity to complicated situations. He understood people, what mattered to them, and what they were trying to achieve. But work was never what he loved most.
The centre of Len’s world was his wife and best friend, Sharon. Together they built a life that was warm, steady, playful, and full of laughter. Days were spent hunting for the perfect décor piece at their favourite stores around Toronto; lounging around the pool and walking down 5th Avenue in Naples, Florida; quiet days at the cottage on Lake of Bays; cutting the lawn together on their two lawn tractors; Friday nights out at the Boiler Room and the Clarkson Pump & Patio; and then music at home with a slow dance in the living room. They were true partners.
Len was a proud and loving dad to his son, Brian (Lindsay) and his daughter, Kelly (Chris). He wasn’t just a father. He was a mentor, a safe place, and constant support. He listened, he encouraged, and he made sure his kids always knew they were believed in and loved.
Becoming “Papa” was his greatest joy. He adored his grandchildren: Jackson, Mackenzie, Carter, Grayson, and Olivia. They were his pride and his happiness. If you knew Len, you knew about his grandkids.
Len had a big heart. He helped people quietly. If someone needed support, he gave it. He was steady and strong, but underneath was a deeply caring, sensitive man who loved his people and worried about them. He wanted everyone he loved to be okay.
He was also funny. He had an amazing sense of humour and a way of cutting tension with one line. He loved to laugh at his own jokes, which only made everyone else laugh harder.
Len is survived by his wife, Sharon Meadwell (née Russell); his son, Brian Meadwell, wife Lindsay and their three sons Jackson, Mackenzie and Carter, and his daughter, Kelly Straus (née Meadwell), husband Chris and their children Grayson and Olivia. He is also survived by his brother, John Meadwell, and his wife, Karen, and their sons, Kevin and Ryan, as well as by his in-laws and dear friends, Carolyn and Darryl Burton, and their children, Danna, Jeff, and Joey. Many of Len’s happiest memories were made with them over the years at the cottage: kids waterskiing and tubing, BBQs and bonfires, boat rides, and late-night fishing in the Vernon Narrows.
He will also be lovingly remembered by Sharon’s brothers and sister and their families — the late Tom Russell and his son Jason (Laura); Sylvia Fenton (Peter) and sons Paul, James, and Matthew; and Ted Russell (Irene) and children Ryan and Jessica.
He was predeceased by his parents, Leslie and Violet Meadwell, who gave him the values he carried his whole life: work hard, love your people, do the right thing.
A celebration of Len’s life will be held at a later date, with details to follow.
He will be deeply missed, endlessly loved, and never forgotten.