It is with great sadness the family of Joseph Hummel of Spruce Grove, Alberta announces his passing on February 4, 2019 at the age of 81.
Joseph will forever be missed by his loving wife of 48 years, Loretta (nee Fleck); his sons: Craig, Ryan (Jennifer); grandson Hayden; his sister Helen (Bill) of Queen Creek, AZ as well as his sister-in-law Pauline from Lethbridge, AB.
Uncle Joe will be fondly remembered by many nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased by his parents: Michael and Katherine; his brothers and sisters: Valentine, Phillip, Leo, Carol, Madeline, Frieda and Mary Anne.
A Funeral Mass will beheld on Friday, February 8, 2019 at 11:00 am at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, 200 Boundary Road, Spruce Grove, AB with interment following.
If friends desire, memorial contributions may be made in Joseph’s name to the Make A Wish Foundation of Northern Alberta.
Joe Hummel was born in North Battleford, Saskatchewan on October 28, 1937. He was the second youngest of nine children. Joe grew up on a dairy farm before joining the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1957. Through the Canadian Forces, he got to travel and live in various places in Canada and he was stationed in Germany for over four years. Joe did one peacekeeping mission in Egypt. While in the Armed Forces Joe worked in the flight simulator program for the Canadian Airforce.
Joe met Loretta Fleck, a beautiful girl from Bodo, Alberta who happened to be living in Edmonton in 1969. Joe and Loretta married in November 1970. While stationed in Baden Baden, Germany Joe and Loretta had two children, Craig (1972) and Ryan (1975). Joe took his final transfer to Greenwood, Nova Scotia in the fall of 1975 where he would eventually retire as a Master Corporal from the Armed Forces in 1978 after over 21 years of service.
Upon Joes retirement from the Armed Forces in September 1978, he moved his family to Alberta and settled in Spruce Grove. Joe took a job with Alberta Government Telephones (AGT) which later would become Telus. Joe would spend the rest of his life living in Spruce Grove and taking an active role in the community. Joe was well known in the minor hockey and minor ball communities both coaching and managing Craig and Ryan’s hockey and baseball teams.
Upon Joes retirement from Telus in 1997, he lived the life most would envy. He would say that he would wake up in the morning with nothing to do and get that out of the way first, and then he would have the whole day to himself. Joe loved to golf, and he was a sports fan through and through. He cheered on every Canadian Athlete as though they were his own child regardless of the sport, but everyone knew his true love was with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Joe was well known for his quick wit and sense of humor. He never had a bad word to say about anybody and always went out of his way to make people happy.
In February 2012, Joe became a grandfather to his only grandson, Hayden. Hayden was Joe’s little buddy and the word “no” was not in his vocabulary when it came to anything to do with Hayden. Joe proudly taught Hayden to golf and the highlight of Joe’s golfing life was when Joe took Hayden for his first round of golf and he watched his grandson get a hole in one. There isn’t anything that Joe would not have done for Hayden.
Joe passed away on February 4th, 2019, with family by his side at the University of Alberta Hospital. It is with great sadness that we have to say goodbye to a great husband, father, grandfather and friend to all.
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de HUMMEL Joseph “Joe February 4 2019..
Décès pour la Ville: Edmonton, Province: Alberta