Lyle Dewan  was a big influence in our daughter‘s life. I as a band booster member, enjoyed many of their performances all over the place. He was so kind and yes, he did  have a great sense of humor. I’ll never forget our trip to Whistler when the bus nurse Laureen Thistle was handing out Gravol like candy during the stretch of the  Little Lilouette hiway! He was super considerate. Also, he supported the idea of having our own cases of water bottles to give to the kids so they wouldn’t have to spend so much on store-bought water bottles.
Every single competition  our band went to -they excelled all due to Lyle Dewan. The town of Barrhead really missed him when he retired but he deserved his retirement. A very talented, kind and generous man he was. My condolences to his wife and family

Mr. Dewan was a fantastic band teacher. I really enjoyed having him as one of my high school teachers; he made band classes memorable and something to look forward to when I was able to take those classes.
I’m really sad to hear of his passing, and want to pass on my sincerest condolences to his family. With love, God bless.

Linda & family,  I just heard about Mr Dewan's passing.  Without a doubt, he was one of my favorite teachers ever!  I was priviledged to be a student of Mr. Dewan's in the early 80's.  One of my best memories of school was going to Victoria to compete in the British Columbia music festival where we received a Silver medal!  His love of music influenced us all.  His kindness and patience was extraordinary.  Rest in peace Mr. Dewan.

Mr. Dewan was an fantastic musician and teacher; I think that everyone involved directly or indirectly with the music program in Barrhead under his direction was always amazed at what he was able to get out of us students.

I have many fond memories of Mr. Dewan and the pranks some of us students would play on him; he always had an amazing patience for our shenanigans.  And despite our occasional bouts of what appeared irreverence, everyone had nothing but the highest respect for him.

The world is a little bit brighter because of him being in it and that light continues to shine through all those he touched. You will be missed, Mr. Dewan.

Linda, I would like to express my deepest sympathy on the passing of your husband, Lyle. We had adjoining classrooms at then J.R. Harris. I had to tolerate the music from his classroom and he enjoyed the smell of freshly cooked meals from mine. The screechy sounds in September from the grade 7 students were quickly replaced by beautiful music. Lyle was very dedicated to his students as many students have attested to his attention to perfection. My prayers are with you at this difficult time.

Mr. Dewan was an incredible teacher and mentor.  He took the time to know who you were as an individual as well as a music student. This created a mutual respect. He gave a lot of time to instruct and encourage us to be all that we could and represent our community to the absolute best of our ability. Mr Dewan was the true example of excellence and being humble he will be sadly missed.
My deepest condolences.

Dear Linda, my sincere condolences on the passing away of your husband Lyle.  Two of my children were students of his and in the concert band. Both have fond memories of their time under Lyle’s tutelage and he was one of their favourite teachers.

Mr.Dewan has had a life long influence for myself and love of music that has now passed to my own children. With only three years as a student in his class, he taught in such a way that I could apply so much of what I learned again and again as a musician and this will live forever through all of his students. My sincere condolences to his family and friends.

Dear Linda and family: 
Please accept my condolences. I am sorry for your loss.
I was fortunate to work with Lyle in the band program for 16 years as the Music Librarian or the "Band Aide". Lyle was an incredible teacher but much much more.  He was an amazing person with a gift for getting the best out of his "kids" in the classroom and in their lives. Graduates of band have gone on to be Members  of the Legislature, doctors, lawyers, successful business leaders, engineers, health care workers, teachers  but most of all responsible, engaged people enriching their communities and the next generation. I would like to think Lyle had influence on them.
Cherie, Barry, Jordy (McCaw) and Marty Hein

Mr. Dewan I never had you as a teacher but students sure spoke highly of you and I remember you always liked to joke around with me and one joke I took Sirius about you being married 10 times. I am glad that that wasn't true that you had one woman who truly loved you. I remember one time you shared some moments with me when you went to Germany. Mr.Dewan will be greatly missed by his family and friends

Mr. Dewan, Lyle, Mr. D., Dewey, Maestro - many varied expressions, but all with such respect and affection!  Thanks Linda for sharing your husband with all your hundreds of musical kids!  Blessings!  Bob & Edith Tarbet (Both Patty & Sandy were fortunate to share this experience) 🎶

I grew up with Lyle in Glaslyn Saskatchewan and lost touch with him when we moved away in 1966..
  He was a great friend and even then was quite gifted in piano  and playing saxophone with a band from North Battleford.
    Our summer cabins at Turtle Lake were next to each other and our summers spent there were filled with laughter and adventures. 
   Rest in peace my friend....


  billcrothers1950@yahoo.com.au

Mr Dewan will forever be revered as one of my favourite teachers.  Only in looking back on my time as his student and  member of the concert band and wind ensemble do I fully understand the work ethic and musical appreciation Mr Dewan inspired in me. 
Never have I considered his attention to detail and work he poured into his students more than when I saw my first non-Mr Dewan high school band perform years after graduating.  I thought, ‘wow that was a sloppy release’ and ‘look at all those white socks, it’s so distracting’!  To this day white socks with black pants and shoes makes me think of Mr Dewan and the disapproving look he would have! 
Mr Dewan expected a high level of attention and care from every student and he modelled how to achieve it. Mr Dewan  was such an incredibly talented person and teacher, he could make any kid a musician, he knew how to spark individual success through perfect instrument/kid pairings. 
I admired the way he gleaned perfection through an almost obsessive repetition.  I’ll never forget the time, a week before an important performance, we practiced the last note of a piece for half an hour, we weren’t moving on until it was perfect. That was the day I learned about the physics of sound! That level of musical education and commitment to the craft resulted in our band winning regular accolades. 
It was normal for our band to win… everything.  I honestly thought that was normal for all high school bands, to show up and win everything!  
Only in my adulthood did I ever consider it was not in fact normal, that it was the result of hard work and dedication Mr Dewan demonstrated and instilled in us all that earned us the prestige of being a highly decorated high school band.  
I fondly look back on my memories as a band nerd. From  life long friendships, to amazing trips, to selling cases of grapefruit, to Mr Dewan feverently gesticulating  in front of us on stage,sweat dripping from his furrowed brow to deliver another epic performance. ❤

I was very lucky to spend two weeks at Music Camrose with Lyle. We both had a couple of free hours in the afternoon and we would spend them walking and talking. He was a gentleman and a true educator. I learned more about teaching from Lyle in those walks than I learned anywhere else. He believed in the importance of knowing every one of his students personally and built that into his teaching. A master musician, teacher and example to kids.

Linda, I'm so sorry to hear of Lyle's passing. What a legacy he leaves in the music world.  His passion for music and leading bands will be remembered by every student, parent and colleague he worked with.   My deepest sympathy to you and your family.

He was just a great person, I never had him as a teacher by my siblings did. He was a great friend and also called me names :) I’ll miss him !!!

It is hard to put into words the profound impact of Mr. Dewan on my life, and the lives of many other music students he taught throughout his life. Mr. Dewan was a kind and caring teacher, had an incredibly sharp wit and sense of humour, and consistently found ways to relate to students in a manner that challenged and pushed them to achieve their best. I will always be extremely grateful for the extra time he spent helping me prepare my audition material for music school; I honestly don't know if I would have the career I have in music today if it weren't for the support and reassurance from Mr. Dewan that I could do it. His band class was one of the highlights of my entire time at BCHS, and I feel lucky to have had just a few years under his guidance before he retired. Lyle was a well-loved teacher whose positive impact on my life, and the lives of many, will carry on for many years. My condolences to his family.

My sincere condolences to Linda and family.  Mr. Dewan will continue to be a favorite teacher of many of his "kids". He truly was mine!! I have so many great memories of band trips, festivals, concerts, band practices, chocolate bar fundraisers, jokes and even some heart to heart conversations not only as his student but also as a parent! How wonderful it was for me to have my daughter also be in the band program with the best teacher too!! She also had a great relationship with Mr. Dewan. I am so thankful for all the years shared with Lyle as student and as an adult!! Mr. Lyle Dewan, you will be missed but never forgotten!! ♥️

Thanks for everything Lyle.  I remember you fondly from PCHS in Edson.  Rest well.

If the greatness of a person's life is measured by the degree to which they had a  positive and lasting impact on the lives of others, then I think we can all agree that Mr. Dewan was one of the greats indeed.  He had to put up with 14-year-old me in his first Grade 7 Band class in Barrhead (circa 1986), and such was the guidance and good humour with which he mentored us all that I stayed in Band throughout high school, and have used the lessons he taught me throughout my own teaching career.  Judging from the other responses here, I know that all of his musical children will continue to remember and share our love for him long into the future.  May "flights of angels sing thee to thy [whole] rest", Maestro!

I was a parent involved with the Band Boosters and had many amazing discussions with Mr. Dewan. I marvelled at his passion after 20 years of educating band students. I asked him if there was something he had yet to do with band. He said he would love to teach a group of adults. I told him not to joke about that because I would bring him a bunch. He said, bring them and he would find the instruments. So 20 band parents showed up for our first lesson on a Thursday evening. After our first hour we were in shock. He had so much work ahead of him, so I thought. He smiled and said “wasn’t that fun?”  It was amazing to see him analyze the group and set everyone up to succeed. We played at the Christmas concert that year. To everyone’s surprise and to the credit of the Master, we played wonderfully. Thank you for that experience Lyle.

Mr. Dewan was a wonderful man, and a fantastic teacher. how he can keep so many kids in line to learn the music and to well in it is beyond me. I Loved his class, he was always kind, caring and funny.  You will be missed.

Dear Linda,
So sorry to hear about Lyle’s passing. Offering our deepest condolences as you mourn the passing of your dear husband. Although our girls were never students of his, we truly admired his dedication and success to his band program in making the Barrhead bands excel in the school music world. 
Sincerely, 
Dave & Debbie

Mr. Dewan was so pivotal to so many of us band students. I always appreciated him, more so as an adult in retroflect. Mr. Dewan was persistent in trying to push me to my potential, believing in me. He was a rare gem in he cared so much about each and everyone of his students. He created a safe place for any and every student in that band room. Never was there a lunch where it was empty. I like many may wish I had listened to him then more than taking years for what he was saying to sink. He was one of the most impactful teachers in my life trajectory many years later. I am incredibly grateful for having his influence, to have seen his passion, his genuine authenticity, and to have had the opportunities he had provided to his students. A well respected man, a man with a beautiful legacy, and the impact on lives that truly is incomprehensible. I do not know if Mr. Dewan ever truly knew the impact he was making on us, not just then but for the rest of our lives. He will be fondly missed by all those fortunate to have had their life paths crossed by his. I send my deepest condolences on the passing of Mr. Dewan. Rest in peace Dewey.

My condolences to Lyle's family.   Lyle was a great music educator and a truly wonderful person.

I , along with Randall and the rest of the staff at the physio clinic, will miss Lyle so much! We always enjoyed his visits. He was such a kind, caring, thoughtful, intelligent man. I always loved my conversations with him about the lake and the birds! He will be dearly missed.

I have always considered my appreciation for all types of music a direct result of the teaching of this man.  He always had time to talk and I thoroughly enjoyed the brief visits we had long after his teaching days were done.  He was a truly great and caring individual who will be dearly missed.

Mr. Dewan was my favourite teacher. He helped to seal a love for music in my heart. Even now, over twenty years after he was my teacher, I will listen to music and think about what he might say about the composition, the performance choices, and the silences been the music. 
        I’m so grateful to Mr. Dewan for being passionate about teaching the arts in rural Alberta to a farm kid like me. Mostly I’m grateful for his kindness, humour, and acceptance when I was an awkward, strange teenager figuring everything out. My condolences to his family.

My deepest condolences to Mr Dewan’s family. Mr Dewan taught us all many lessons and I am sure we all carry something of him with us! As my daughter is enjoying her band years I have definitely shared many stories with her. It was a privilege to learn everything he had to teach us and he definitely made music fun! Thank you for the amazing memories Mr D. You will never be forgotten.

Condolences to the family.  I truly enjoyed learning music from Mr. Dewan. He was always patient and understanding.  He will be truly missed by many.

Mr. Dewan was a favorite teacher of mine throughout junior high and high school. His confidence in me and the resulting confidence I gained in myself are something I will feel and remember forever.  To have this kind of support when I didn't have that around me in other areas of my life - what a gift! Having that experience (especially at that age) was invaluable and I wish I had expressed this to him while he was still alive. Another lesson learned from Mr. Dewan.  Condolences to his family and eternal thanks to you Mr. Dewan!

So sorry to hear of Mr. Dewan's passing... I may not have  been musically inclined and I may not  have practiced when I was supposed to but I have such great memories from his classroom. My favorite was of playing Canto ( I think it was called?) in competition and I do believe we placed well. I may not have been a very good 3rd clarinet but I could clap and we sounded awesome. I also remember he made it fun by teaching us theme songs to shows like Dallas... Rest in Peace, Mr. Dewan, may you be surrounded by the music of Heaven.

Dear Linda,
So very sorry for your loss. 
Lyle was a great maestro. He garnered the respect, admiration and love of all of his students and their parents. He demanded excellence and most often achieved it with his award winning bands, well known throughout the province and beyond. He was an exceptional teacher. The students were his world and he cared deeply for each of them, supported them, and gave them a wonderful sense of belonging and being included (although sometimes teasing them unmercifully!). He taught them not only music skills and appreciation but also very valuable life lessons. It was an honor and pleasure to work with him on Band Boosters and to chaperone on many, many band trips over the years. I feel blessed that my children had him in their lives. We are all richer for having known  Mr. Dewan. He will be forever remembered with deep fondness for being such a wonderful mentor and caring individual who freely devoted so very many hours and evenings  to better his students and to help them to be the best they could be. Rest in peace Lyle. You were one of a kind and a true gem, outstanding in your field. Your contributions, skills and talents  made the world a better place and enhanced the lives of so many.
Sincere Sympathy to his family, friends and former students.
Rich Blessings.

What made Mr. Dewan an exceptional teacher wasn’t just his delivery of the lessons, it was how he cared about us as individuals. He always encouraged me as a musician and gave me opportunities to develop my skills outside of his classroom. Many years later after I had become a band teacher, he came to one of my concerts that I directed - I have never been so nervous but also so proud to tell that gym full of people that my mentor was in attendance that night! 

My sincere condolences to his family. May his soul rest in peace! I will never forget you Mr. Dewan!

It’s hard for me to fully express how important the band room was to me. Mr. Dewan—Dewey—created a community of students who were open, friendly, and supportive of each other. He pushed us to be our best, and encouraged us to take pride in our accomplishments. I am grateful to have had him in my life.

Mr. Dewan was an inspiring teacher. I  played Alto Saxophone for 6 years, and I have fond memories of band trips and each year getting to watch “A Christmas Story” in class during the last week before Christmas  🎄❤️

Rest easy, Mr. Dewan. You will be forever remembered as one of the best!

Mr Dewan was a teacher whose lessons not only produced excellent bands, but people who excelled in life. For me, the biggest lesson he taught me was ,”practice doesn’t make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect”.  For me this meant that just putting in mindless time isn’t making you better, that you had to focus on getting as good as you could get. I carried this into how I practiced for golf and can attribute some of my grit to practicing the trumpet. 
My condolences to his family.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Linda and family. Mr. Dewan was such a gem and will be deeply missed far and wide. Most of my favourite memories in junior high and high school were in band classes and on band trips. He had a gift of making everyone feel like they belonged in his band family, regardless of their musical abilities

Mr Dewan was a person who really made a difference in his students' lives.  
He was one of those teachers that you remember years after you graduate. 
He was this for me for sure and I often popped in when I was home from University and, even after.  
He was funny and easy going but also had a way of commanding our respect and attention (well, most of the time). 
Even though my junior high years were really tough, I still have sooo many great memories of band trips and festival competitions from that time, for which I'm grateful.
I'd been thinking about him a lot this past year and wish I'd found a way to reach out and to say thank you one more time. 
I hope he knew what an impact he made. He is missed and there are many of us who are thankful for his hand in our lives.

Lyle Dewan was a true icon. Beloved by his students (each and every one), totally supported by parents, and respected by his colleagues. Opening the world of music, to so many including our two daughters, will be forever treasured. Special thanks to Linda as without her support so many lives would not of been touched. Terry and Elaine Anderson

My condolences to Mr. Dewan’s family and friends. I loved my jr high and high school band experience. I still brag to my family about how good we were and we wouldn’t have been without a great teacher!

My condolences to his family. Truly a great inspiration! His love for music was infectious and will forever be one of my favorite teachers! He was an amazing man, teacher, musician and friend. He will be missed dearly!

I am so grateful to have had such an amazing teacher & role model during my junior high & high school years. Mr. Dewan was an incredible man who truly cared for each and every one of his students, leaving a lasting impression on all of us. He will be greatly missed ♥️

I have many fond memories of band class with Mr Dewan. When I switched instruments with another classmate, he taught us in a class with just the two of us. His confidence that I could learn another instrument was more than I had for myself. While there was lots of learning during those classes, we also shared a liking of Dutch foods and he would tell me how he would make a box of Dutch soup for himself not realizing you add more ingredients and it was meant for 4 portions. His response to that was well no wonder it was so tasty and salty.

Mr Dewan, was a remarkable teacher and brought such joy to my school years. I was also fortunate enough to work with him as a teaching colleague prior to his retirement. He will be so missed.

What an incredible man Mr. Dewan was! He was a fantastic musician and a terrific teacher! Mr. Dewan had a great sense of humour. Most impressive was Mr. Dewan's ability to connect with students and motivate them to do their best. 

I am saddened by the loss but grateful to have met Mr. Dewan and experienced his band class.

"Dewey" was an incredible man. He was more than just my band director for 6 years. He was a dear friend and mentor. Catching up with him occasionally over the years was always comforting to the soul. Linda, we can never thank you enough for sharing him with so many people. The world has lost a good man.

Dear Linda we are saddened at the passing of Lyle.  John and I remember the times we met at the Prairie Chef for lunch; Lyle and John remembering their times together at the Sr./Jr. High School.
Please know you are in our thoughts and prayers.
John/Marlene Szwec

OBITUARY

Lyle Louis Dewan

20 August, 1950 – 5 May, 2024

Rose Garden Chapel

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