Friends and family gather to remember Lyle Iron

Page 8

Lyle Ross Iron was a young man of great warmth, who according to his friends, was always quick to laugh, share, and support. He was a young man with dreams of success, and the talent, desire and dedication to turn those dreams into reality. He was a young man full of love for those close to him, and it was a love returned with equal force by his wife, Brenda Lee Peeteetuce, and all his family and friends.

Iron was a Saskatoon actor and model, and a valuable member of the Saskatchewan Native Theatre Company's (SNTC) Youth Ensemble, and was only 19 when he died in early October.

On Saturday, Nov. 30, Iron's friends and coworkers at the SNTC staged a posthumous 20th birthday memorial celebration at their Saskatoon theatre, filling the building with those touched by the young man, and those committed to keeping his memory alive.

Through songs, slideshows, and the sharing of sweet remembrances, Iron's family members and fellow actors poured forth their memories and feelings in a presentation that was at once poignant, touching, humorous and cathartic.

"He was a great guy to have on the stage, all the time. He was so funny," said Curtis Peeteetuce, who appeared with Iron in October's staging of "Askiy-The Land".

"When I first met him, I thought he was a weirdo, to tell the truth," joked friend and fellow actor Mitchell Poundmaker. "Naturally, we got along right away."

"He was so full of love to give, he always thought about you," remembered brother Angus Vincent. "It was always you before him."

Over the course of the memorial's many eloquent speeches, several details of Iron's life were revealed-his skewed sense of humour, his love of martial arts, and his talents as a piano player, to name only a few. Given the location, though, these details only seemed like so many story notes from a play-in-progress, a play that will now remain forever unfinished.

"I'll always cherish everything that we shared together," said partner Brenda Lee Peeteetuce. "I know we'll be together again--love is for eternity."

"This memorial is not to mourn his death, but to celebrate his life," said Vincent. "The memory of my brother will live on in us forever."

Iron was raised on the Waterhen Lake First Nation. He attended high school at Saskatoon's Bedford Road Collegiate, where he first became involved in theatre. He shared with his brother a passion for performing, and it was Vincent who introduced him to the SNTC's Circle of Voices program. After graduating from the 2001 program, Iron immediately joined the SNTC Youth Ensemble, where he continued to develop his theatrical skills while simultaneously pursuing a modelling career.

"I would like to thank [the SNTC] for the support, in guiding me in the right direction for my dreams," Iron wrote last year in his theatrical bio, his words full of hope for a bright future.

Ultimately, even the outreach and support of the SNTC's close-knit family of artists and mentors was not enough to carry Lyle Iron to his dreams, but the cathartic tears and laughter heard during the touching memorial proves that his powerful spirit remains within the company, to inspire and shape the dreams of all the loving family, friends, fans and future performers he leaves behind.