Delbert’s Obituary
It is with love and sadness that we announce the passing of Delbert Roy Hallett on April 14, 2021, in Peace River, AB.
Del was born to parents, Milford and Helen Hallett, on March 8, 1942, in Hartland, NB. Del was the 3rd of 4 sons and when they were young boys the family moved to Toronto, where they were all raised. Delbert married Gail Wallace, and although this marriage didn’t last, he carried on the family tradition and also had 4 sons, Tim, Steven, Kevin and Chris.
In the late 70’s Del and his 3 oldest sons moved to Edmonton. Del was a certified gas fitter, licenced in both Ontario and Alberta. These skills led to a job in Peace River with Fortier and Associates where he met Grace Evans. Grace and Del lived in Edmonton for a period of time and every Saturday they had a tradition of going to the Meadowlark Safeway, buying deli meat and cheese and having that for supper with the fresh baked buns Del was famous for! Sharon and Del didn’t always see eye to eye as she thought buns should be white on the bottom and Del liked his just as golden brown on the bottom as they were on the top! Grace and Del also enjoyed some strawberry angel wine along with their meal, which may have been what got Del into his wine making hobby later in life!
Grace and Del eventually moved back to Peace River and Del worked as a serviceman for PTI and then Shanco until his retirement. They started out in a duplex in Lower West Peace, however, Del’s dream was to own a house with hardwood floors and white cupboards. Laura convinced them to look around for such a house. They found the perfect home backing onto Kinsmen Park where they spent many happy years. Del’s favourite colour was red as you will notice in his power point. We were alarmed when he decided to paint his TV room the brightest fuchsia red colour you could imagine. What a relief for us when the painter refused to paint it that drastic colour! So, Del got himself a bright fuchsia bathroom downstairs and a feng shui red door to greet his world!
Grace and Del were together for over 20 years when they finally decided to get married in 2001. Grace’s daughter, Laura, applied for a one-time appointment as a marriage commissioner and had the privilege of marrying them in a small ceremony that took place in their living room. The family and friends that attended thought they were coming to a bbq and they were surprised with a wedding!
Del enjoyed camping and fishing and owned a couple of small fishing boats and a truck camper. Grace and Del were both very lucky when it came to winning things, Grace won a car and not to be outdone, shortly after, Del won a beautiful boat!
Del and Grace enjoyed a bit of travelling together, Vegas, Mesquite and Niagara Falls. Grace also wanted to go to Hawaii, and even though she was in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, he took her on a cruise to the islands to fulfill her dream. Their favourite trip together was a trip across Canada in their truck and camper. Grace especially loved PEI and was thrilled to travel around the Maritimes and visit Del’s hometown and meet many of his relatives.
Del had a bit of a stubborn streak but there was also a soft, gentle side, that included not only buying Grace flowers for Valentine’s Day but also buying some for Tricia when she was living at home! Tricia mentioned once that she liked black forest cake and for years after Del made sure that’s what she got for her birthday. He also had a sense of humour and liked to joke and tease. Larry and Del had a yearly Christmas contest to see who could buy the best gag gift!
Grace and Del were the biggest fans of the grandkids sports or singing or whatever they were involved in. They drove all over the province to cheer them on! Christmas morning also had them jumping from one house to another to watch the kids open presents. Del was known to have Grace out around 6 a.m. driving past different kids’ houses to see which one had the lights on first!
Del loved watching the news, pot of gold chocolates and somewhere along the way he started collecting frogs; ceramic, stuffed, wood…he ended up with quite an array. He still had a couple of Father’s Day cards made for him by his grandchildren years ago, both with the theme of frogs! He kept every card or letter that he ever got and his favourite pictures rode around in his wallet for years, they were wrinkled and crinkled and barely recognizable but well loved! He also kept notes, whether it was writing down different activities the kids had, utility bills, births, deaths, special occasions, he had all kinds of scribblers with many, many years of notes!
Del was diagnosed with Dementia in 2017 and slipped peacefully away at Sutherland Place with loved ones at his side.
Delbert’s family would like to extend their deepest and heartfelt thanks to the caring and compassionate staff at Sutherland Place, Dr. Mildenberger, Peace River Home Care team and all those involved in his care.
Delbert was predeceased by his sons, Tim (2008) and Kevin (2016); his parents; his brothers, Winston and Howard and Sharon’s husband, Ed Higginson.
He is survived by his wife, Grace Hallett; his sons, Steven and Chris and Grace’s children, Sharon Higginson, Donna (Larry) Spiller, Bill (Lucille) Evans, David Evans, Laura (Bill) McFaddin and Tricia (Keith) Gehlen; his brother, Wilf (Donna) plus numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren.
If friends so desire donations may be made to the Resident and Family Council, care of Brenda McCullough, at Sutherland Place or a local charity of one’s choice.
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Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Delbert Hallett March 8 1942 April 14 2021..
Chapel of Memories Funeral Homes & Crematorium
Décès pour la Ville: Peace River, Province: Alberta