Editing John Diefenbaker (section)

=== Final years and death ===
Diefenbaker was embittered by his loss of the party leadership. Pearson announced his retirement in December 1967, and Diefenbaker forged a wary relationship of mutual respect with Pearson's successor, [[Pierre Trudeau]]. Trudeau called [[1968 Canadian federal election|a general election for June 1968]]; Stanfield asked Diefenbaker to join him at a rally in Saskatoon, which Diefenbaker refused, although the two appeared at hastily arranged photo opportunities. Trudeau obtained the majority against Stanfield that Pearson had never been able to obtain against Diefenbaker, as the PC party lost 25 seats, 20 of them in the West. The former prime minister, though stating, "The Conservative Party has suffered a calamitous disaster" in a [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC]] interview, could not conceal his delight at Stanfield's humiliation, and especially gloated at the defeat of Camp, who made an unsuccessful attempt to enter the Commons.{{sfn|Smith|1995|pp=559–563}} Diefenbaker was easily returned for Prince Albert.{{sfn|Smith|1995|pp=559–563}}

Although Stanfield worked to try to unify the party, Diefenbaker and his loyalists proved difficult to reconcile. The division in the party broke out in well-publicised dissensions, as when Diefenbaker called on Progressive Conservative MPs to break with Stanfield's position on [[Official Languages Act (Canada)|the Official Languages bill]], and nearly half the caucus voted against their leader's will or abstained.{{sfn|Smith|1995|pp=563–564}} In addition to his parliamentary activities, Diefenbaker travelled extensively and began work on his memoirs, which were published in three volumes between 1975 and 1977. Pearson died of cancer in 1972, and Diefenbaker was asked if he had kind words for his old rival. Diefenbaker shook his head and said only, "He shouldn't have won the Nobel Prize."{{sfn|Smith|1995|pp=565–567}}

By 1972, Diefenbaker had grown disillusioned with Trudeau, and campaigned wholeheartedly for the Tories in [[1972 Canadian federal election|that year's election]]. Diefenbaker was re-elected comfortably in his home riding, and the Progressive Conservatives came within two seats of matching the Liberal total. Diefenbaker was relieved both that Trudeau had been humbled and that Stanfield had been denied power. Trudeau regained his majority two years later in [[1974 Canadian federal election|an election]] that saw Diefenbaker, by then the only living former prime minister, have his personal majority grow to 11,000 votes.{{sfn|Smith|1995|pp=567–568}}

In the [[1976 New Year Honours]], Diefenbaker was created a [[Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour]], an honour bestowed as the personal gift of the Sovereign.{{sfn|Smith|1995|p=568}} After a long illness, Olive Diefenbaker died on December 22, a loss which plunged Diefenbaker into despair.{{sfn|Smith|1995|pp=570–571}}

[[Joe Clark]] [[Progressive Conservative leadership convention, 1976|succeeded Stanfield as party leader in 1976]], but as Clark had supported the leadership review, Diefenbaker held a grudge against him.{{sfn|Smith|1995|pp=571–574}} Diefenbaker had supported [[Claude Wagner]] for leader, but when Clark won, stated that Clark would make "a remarkable leader of this party".{{sfn|Stursberg|1976|pp=200–201}} However, Diefenbaker repeatedly criticized his party leader, to such an extent that Stanfield publicly asked Diefenbaker "to stop sticking a knife into Mr. Clark"—a request Diefenbaker did not agree to.{{sfn|''The Canadian Press'' 1977-09-23}} According to columnist [[Charles Lynch (journalist)|Charles Lynch]], Diefenbaker regarded Clark as an upstart and a pipsqueak.{{sfn|Lynch|1977}}

[[File:Diefengrave.jpg|left|thumb|alt=A grave marked by an angled slab of marble engraved with the names of Diefenbaker and his wife and surrounded by plantings of small marigolds, and an additional plaque in bronze. Beyond it a lawn stretches away.|The Diefenbaker grave, close by the [[Diefenbaker Centre]]]]

In 1978, Diefenbaker announced that he would stand in one more election, and under the slogan "Diefenbaker—Now More Than Ever", weathered a campaign the following year during which he apparently suffered a mild stroke, although the media were told he was bedridden with influenza. In [[1979 Canadian federal election|the May election]] Diefenbaker defeated NDP candidate [[Stan Hovdebo]] (who, after Diefenbaker's death, would win the seat in a by-election) by 4,000 votes. Clark had defeated Trudeau, though only gaining a minority government, and Diefenbaker returned to Ottawa to witness the swearing-in, still unreconciled to his old opponents among Clark's ministers. Two months later, Diefenbaker died of a heart attack in his study at age 83.{{sfn|Smith|1995|pp=571–574}}

Diefenbaker had extensively planned his funeral in consultation with government officials. He [[lay in state]] in the [[Hall of Honour]] in Parliament for two and a half days; 10,000 Canadians passed by his casket. The Maple Leaf Flag on the casket was partially obscured by the [[Canadian Red Ensign|Red Ensign]].{{sfn|Smith|1995|pp=575–577}}{{sfn|Archbold|2002|p=147}} After the service, his body was taken by train on a slow journey to its final destination, Saskatoon; along the route, many Canadians lined the tracks to watch the funeral train pass. In Winnipeg, an estimated 10,000 people waited at midnight in a one-kilometre line to file past the casket which made the trip draped in a Canadian flag and Diefenbaker's beloved Red Ensign.{{sfn|''CBC Digital Archives'', Farewell Dief}} In Prince Albert, thousands of those he had represented filled the square in front of the railroad station to salute the only man from Saskatchewan ever to become prime minister. His coffin was accompanied by that of his wife Olive, disinterred from temporary burial in Ottawa. Prime Minister Clark delivered the eulogy, paying tribute to "an indomitable man, born to a minority group, raised in a minority region, leader of a minority party, who went on to change the very nature of his country, and change it forever".{{sfn|Smith|1995|pp=575–577}} John and Olive Diefenbaker rest outside the [[Diefenbaker Centre]], built to house his papers, on the campus of the University of Saskatchewan.{{sfn|Smith|1995|pp=575–577}}{{sfn|''Parks Canada'', Historic Sites}}