Patrick DeMan
1941 – 2020
Patrick John DeMan passed away at the Medicine Hat Regional Hospital on Saturday, July 4, 2020, at the age of 78 years. Left to cherish Patrick’s memory are his children, Dallas (Dallas) DeMan and Pam DeMan (Brendon Hamilton); grandchildren, Brayden (Sydney), Kobi, Cody, Bryce (Sierra), Brooklyn, Rowenna and Tavynn; great-grandchildren, Porter, Tucker and Layah as well as his sister, Margaret. He was predeceased by his parents, Edward and Norma as well as his sister, Michaela. Patrick was born and raised in Medicine Hat. He didn’t love being a kid or going to school as he acted like he was 18 the majority of his life. Patrick loved his mother dearly and was the apple of her eye. He attended high school in Wilcox, SK where became a proud Notre Dame ‘Hound’. Patrick moved to Yellowknife where he worked in the mines, played hockey and started his family along with his businees career. He was a great hockey player and coach; loving all sports especially baseball in which he won a Little League Championship. Patrick was a very proud Canadian as he always said, “Canada – what a country!” Patrick was an entrepreneur and a fine businessman whether it was delivering the Edmonton Journal, owning a Pepsi-Cola franchise, a hotel in Richmound or his final success owning the Redcliff Truckstop. He loved working at the truckstop and he thought after a lot of years of being a businessman, he didn’t really know what he would grow up to be. Patrick loved the Endersby hunting trips to Ya Ha Tinda with the boys, watching football with Dallas, beer, traveling, golfing with his El Centro family in California, visiting with company, sunny Mondays and friendships. He loved to tell stories and embellish them as he did it to make people feel good and laugh. Patrick was tough… like Dad’s are supposed to be and took care of his family, always telling them who was #1. He had an amazing life and was full of love; always giving and very generous. Patrick didn’t have any bad days and silence was never awkward. The back of his business card, which sums up his life, reads this:
‘Hello old friend, let me introduce myself…
I’m a miner, taxi driver, bootlegger,
Pepsi man, hotel owner, bartender,
railroader, truckstop operator.
I’m a football player, hockey player
coach, golfer, fisherman, hunter
I’m also a gardener, keeper of koi
and a dog owner.
Lastly, I’m a son, husband, father,
grandfather and brother.’
A Celebration of Patrick’s life will be held at Cook Southland Funeral Chapel, 901 – 13 Street S.W., Medicine Hat on Friday, July 10, 2020, at 2:00 p.m. Due to restrictions in place regarding COVID – 19 from the Chief Medical Officer of Health – funeral services are now limited to no more than 100 attendees including family and funeral home staff. Memorial donations in Patrick’s name may be made to the Athol Murray College of Notre Dame, PO Box 100, Wilcox, SK, S0G 5E0; The War Amps, Key Tag Service, 1 Maybrook Drive, Scarborough, ON, M1V 5K9 or to the Margery E. Yuill Cancer Centre c/o Medicine Hat & District Health Foundation, 666 – 5 Street S.W., Medicine Hat, AB, T1A 4H6.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Patrick DeMan 1941 2020..
Death notice for the town of: Medicine-Hat, Province: Alberta