05/11/2026
Springfield Archives shares the sad news of the recent passing of a long-time volunteer, Lawrie Kyle. We extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends 💕
For 15 years he spent most every Wednesday at the Archives and he will be greatly missed, not only by his fellow volunteers but also the many visitors who benefitted from his vast knowledge of the people, events, and pioneer families in Springfield.
Lawrie began his time at the Archives in the fall of 2011 - looking for "something to do", a project he could work on at his own pace. Given his long career as an educator, Lawrie was well-suited to the monumental task of organizing the history of Springfield's schools - more than a century of student records, teachers notes, class photos, trustees, yearbooks, and reunions.
He was also instrumental in salvaging dozens of photos of the original school houses from obscurity. Being packed away and forgotten did not sit well with Lawrie and thanks to his efforts, the collection is now on display at the Archives.
He later focussed on the history of churches in Springfield, capturing the milestones and celebrations of all faiths in the municipality. That project naturally led to the local cemeteries, for which Lawrie spent countless hours matching municipal records to obituaries, headstone photos, and burial maps. He also made field trips to verify information on-site, and sometimes the cemetery was actually in a farmer's field!
Lawrie's time at the Archives was invaluable, not only for what he accomplished but also for his friendly manner and welcoming presence with everyone who stopped by. No matter the topic, he always had time for a question (or several!) - he usually knew the answer and often went on to tell a story about it, too.
Lawrie leaves big shoes to fill, but we are grateful for his curated collections. They will be of great interest to visitors and future historians.
We invite you to see where Lawrie spent his Wednesdays, and to check out our other collections at the Springfield Archives.
Yvonne Mavins, Audrey Bodnaruk, Rob Mangles, Pat Bobko, Monica Ptak and past volunteer Diann Huley.
