Harlan Morley Weidenhammer

Harlan Morley Weidenhammer, 81 passed away in the early morning of October 14, 2026 after a stay at Royal University Hospital.

Harlan was born in 1945 to May Weidenhammer (née Dean) and Walter Weidenhammer. He grew up alongside his older brother Bernard (Bernie) in the hamlet of Cactus Lake, Saskatchewan where his parents ran a general store and gas station that served the local farming community.

He was educated at the University of Saskatchewan, where he received a Bachelor’s in English and a Master’s in Education. Early in his teaching career, Harlan travelled to Sabah, Malaysia as a volunteer with Canadian University Services Overseas (CUSO). He taught English as a Foreign Language to trainee teachers at Gaya College, Kota Kinabalu. There he met Anne Bastians (b. 1949). They were married in Luseland, Saskatchewan in 1972.

Harlan worked for almost 30 years at Mount Royal Collegiate in Saskatoon where he taught English as a Second Language (ESL) to immigrant and refugee students. He also taught courses on ESL methodology at the University of Saskatchewan College of Education. Following his retirement from Mount Royal, he continued teaching in Dene communities in Northern Saskatchewan. He taught in the Father Porte Memorial Dene School and for the First Nation University of Canada at the Black Lake First Nation. He also taught at the Megret High School of the Hatchet Lake First Nation, and the Clearwater River Dene School of the Clearwater River First Nation.

Harlan was passionate about adapting education to meet the needs of students. He volunteered with the Kids Not In School Working Group of Saskatoon Communities for Children. He was committed to the principle that Indigenous second-language speakers of English should be educated as such rather than being taught a curriculum developed for English native speakers.

Harlan was a loving, steadfast, and encouraging husband, father, and grandfather. His memory will be cherished by his family, friends, and by hundreds of former students. He is survived by his son Erich, his daughter Ava, and his wife Anne. A memorial gathering for friends and family will be arranged for this spring. His ashes will be spread on the banks of the South Saskatchewan River.

To share memories and condolences, please visit www.saskatoonfuneralhome.com. Arrangements entrusted to Saskatoon Funeral Home, 306-244-5577.