Guy N. Lofgren
1958 - 2025
Time in Gwynne:
1958-2025
Those who knew him, knew that Guy lived life large. He was known as a "big Guy" with a big voice, a hand shake you'd be sure to remember and a love for big trucks.
From the Hayes bear logo to his distinct black and pink equipment with custom paint work, he was a recognized and memorable personality as a third generation farmer in Gwynne and known as "the Wayne Gretzky of trucking" to his peers across Alberta.
Guy's Legacy
Submitted by his wife & children
Born in Camrose and raised on the family farm three miles north of Gwynne, by the age of 16 Guy had started his own corral cleaning company and was working full time for farmers in the area and around central Alberta. A gifted operator, there wasn't a piece of equipment that he couldn't run with excellence. Bystanders would simply stop to watch the fluid movement and skill as he worked.
Well known for his love of auction sales, Guy became a master rebuilder and fabricator in his farm shop. Another man's junk was Guy's treasure and what entered his shop as something of questionable value, emerged months later as a completely rebuilt creation.
Guy's mom, June Lofgren, set the example of community service through her dedicated years supporting the Gwynne Sports Club and her tireless work on Treasured Memories - Gwynne and District (The Gwynne Historical Society, 1977). Guy was not one to sit on boards, or presenting in front of a group, but was first on the scene to utilize his equipment to support a community project or to help a neighbour in need (grass fire, stuck equipment). His shop on the farm was an informal community gathering place for guys in the community, both old and young. Most times, visitors were invited in for tea and pie.
His antique Hayes truck on the tower in Gwynne has become a notable landmark to locals and those passing through, literally "putting Gwynne on the [Google] map" with numerous photos submitted by travelers commenting on "The Gwynne Sentinel," or "Logging Truck in the Sky" and earning a page on the 'Large Roadside Attractions of Canada' website.
His passion was to leave something, or some place, better than he found it and was a strong supporter of the renewal of the Gwynne community spirit and revival of the school with the Gwynne Valley Rural Academy.