Obituary
Verne Allen Gustavsen passed away in Lacombe Alberta on 13 December 2021 after a short struggle with pancreatic cancer. He was 89 years old.
Verne was born in Brancepeth Saskatchewan on June 17, 1932. He and his younger sisters Eunice, Eleanor, Kathy and Betty grew up in Brancepeth, Oshawa, Ontario; Sydney, Vernon, McBride and various other places in BC. He graduated high school at Canadian Union College (now Burman University) and attended college there as well. It was at CUC that he met and courted Rebecca Mae van der Ende “Becky” and they married on July 1, 1954. Verne and Becky raised four children; Jon, Rick, Carole and Eric. Jon succumbed to cancer in January 2019. They have six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
As a Master Printer, Verne worked at CUC’s Parkland Colorpress from his high school years through retirement. During his time there, he mentored many students and young people in the craft of printing. More importantly, he was a gentle example of a grown-up as he shared bits of work and life wisdom with the students.
One of Verne’s hobbies was running the sound system at the College Heights Seventh-day Adventist Church. He did this for more than 35 years. His other hobbies included telling jokes and stories, photography and growing vegetables in large gardens; he was out picking corn in August, even as the cancer was taking over his life.
Verne was a family man and adored his grandchildren. Conversations and phone calls always included the latest updates on his pride and joy. He loved to share with others the joy he found in his family.
Due to the current restrictions, a private Funeral Service will be held at the College Heights Seventh-day Adventist Church at 2:00 p.m.. on Friday, December 17, 2021. The service will be live-stream broadcast at service time and recorded for viewing at a later time. The video link button is located at the bottom of this page.
The family asks that instead of flowers, consider donating to:
A Better World
www.abwcanada.ca
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Verne Allen Gustavsen, please visit our floral store.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Verne Allen Gustavsen June 17 1932 December 13 2021 (age 89)..
Death notice for the town of: Wetaskiwin, Province: Alberta