Dale Calver

It is with great sorrow that we announce that (Thomas) Dale Calver passed away on July 2 at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto after complications from his battle with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). He was 71.

Born June 1, 1955 to Donald and Eleanor Calver in Downsview, Ontario, Dale moved with his family in 1960 to Saskatoon for several years before settling in Melfort. His life-long love of music took root soon afterward as he began playing the clarinet, which he continued to play through his years at Melfort Composite Collegiate. Soon enough, it brought him to the University of Saskatchewan where he received his degrees in Music (Performance) and Music Education.

Playing clarinet at the University of Saskatchewan was also how he met the love of his life, Carol Weninger-Calver. After their graduation, Dale & Carol would marry in 1980. They spent a couple of years in Arcola, teaching school bands in the region. When teaching opportunities opened up in Saskatoon, they moved there to start a family, eventually having three sons whom he strived to provide with a comfortable life and opportunities to develop their own talents.

After a stint teaching band at Walter Murray Collegiate, Dale would find his footing in the business world as a bookkeeper at his father-in-law Oswald's burgeoning grain bin and hopper-bottom company Weninger Industries. There, his gifts for operations management and computing soon made him an invaluable contributor to their manufacturing processes. He remained in touch with his passion for classical music, serving as the conductor of the Saskatoon Brass Band for a time.

After Westeel's purchase of Weninger Industries, Dale remained with the company for several more years before stepping away and trying his hand at consulting. Eventually, he took on a managerial role in manufacturing at Cover-All Building Systems. He was a man of conscientiousness, diligence, and integrity, and took great pride in his work.

Upon retirement, Dale would go on to become one of Saskatoon's foremost champions of the clarinet. He and Carol joined the Saskatoon Concert Band, for which he would go on to serve as their treasurer for several years from 2013. They also founded the clarinet choir Reedy Set Go! and went on to receive the Saskatchewan Band Association's Band Development Award in 2023.

Dale & Carol were also the driving force behind five editions of the roughly biennial Klarinet Kerfuffle between 2016 and 2025. These one-day festivals featured numerous workshops and recitals as well as bringing internationally renowned performers to Saskatoon. They also took their love of the clarinet around the world by attending several international festivals.

Dale's other passions included gardening, reading about history, watching mysteries and soccer, and stamp collecting.

Dale was predeceased by his parents Donald and Eleanor Calver, his father-in-law Oswald Weninger, and his sister-in-law Donna Weninger-Chapman. He is lovingly remembered by his wife of forty-five years, Carol; his sons Byron, Matthew and Jonathan; his brother Scott Calver; his sister Cheryl Dawnan Calver; his mother-in-law Eva Weninger; his brother-in-law Gerald Weninger (Susan); and his sisters-in-law Susan Weninger (Joe) and Brenda Roeger (Andre), as well as their extended families, friends and musical associates. St. Francis Xavier Parish will host a Prayer Vigil Sunday, July 12 at 7 PM, followed by a Funeral Mass Monday, July 13 at 1 PM.