Mary Elaine Harkness, longtime lifesaving advocate, dies at 82

Mary Elaine Harkness passed away on July 14, 2026 in Red Deer, Alberta at the age of 82. She was born on December 21, 1943 while en route to Wetaskiwin Hospital to parents Gregory and Marie Badry, grew up in Ponoka and later settled in Red Deer.

She married Harold Lindsay Bouteiller in 1960 and raised four children—Curtis, Ken, Cindy and Teresa. Harkness worked as a lifeguard and pool manager before becoming a Director of the Royal Life Saving Society, where she trained many in water‑safety skills. After marrying her second husband, Brian Harkness, she drove trucks in the moving industry, managed a moving and storage business and later served as a medic in Alberta’s oilpatch.

An avid adventurer, she was a certified scuba‑diving instructor, earned a pilot’s licence, survived a training‑flight crash, held a Class 1 driver’s licence, rode motorcycles and spent countless hours canoeing Alberta’s rivers. A poignant moment in her later years was reuniting with her daughter Marina, whom she had placed for adoption. She is survived by her children Marina (Kelly) Moad, Curtis (Dru) Bouteiller, Ken (Darolee) Bouteiller, Cindy (Grant) Price and Teresa (Barry) Derbyshire.