Obituary for
John Paul “Jack” Hubler
John Paul (Jack) Hubler, age 85, of Edmonton, AB, passed away on March 4, 2022.
Jack was born on October 17, 1936 to Jack and Wanda Hubler (nee Masse) in High Prairie, AB, and was raised in the Lesser Slave Lake area. He moved to Edmonton in 1957 and proudly remained there.
In 1960, he married Shirlee (nee Zmean). While they dated, Jack played in a rock band called “The Stratos” and Shirlee would attend all his gigs. He and Shirlee were happily married for 60 years until her unfortunate passing in November 2020.
After attaining his certification as a plumber, gasfitter and steamfitter/pipefitter, he joined the Plumbers and Pipefitters Union, UA Local 488 in 1964 and remained a very proud member for the rest of his days. He was elected to the position of Business Agent in 1973 and continued in that role for more than 20 years. In addition to this position, he volunteered for nearly every committee including Chair of the Political Action Committee and President of the Retired Members Association. His dedication to his union was evident when he attended his last union meeting just two days before he passed.
Those who knew Jack would say he was honest, respectful, dedicated to causes he believed in, and had an unwavering generosity of his time for those less fortunate than himself. In 1997, in recognition of his tireless work, Jack was awarded the United Way and Edmonton and District Labour Council Jim Shewchuk Award. This award is given to a person who made a substantial contribution as a volunteer and was instrumental in the creation of services to better community needs.
When not volunteering, he enjoyed travelling with Shirlee and they visited many countries. As members of Local Union 488’s Retired Members Association, they attended many social functions and trips with the other members where a good time was always had. Both Jack and Shirlee loved spending time with their grandchildren and never missed an opportunity to do so.
Jack is predeceased by his parents and wife. He is survived by his three children, Jack (Sharon), Chuck (Lisa) and Jodi (Sean); his five grandchildren, Shanda (Branson), John, Jillian, Noah and Luke; his two brothers, Dan (Sandy), Tom (Sherrie) and many more family members and close friends who will greatly miss him.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of John Paul Jack
Hubler 2022..
Death notice for the town of: Edmonton, Province: Alberta
What a tragic loss! My condolences to his family and friends. I’m the president of the Alberta Labour History Institute. Jack was one of our activists almost from the time we formed in 1999 and served many times on our Board of Directors. He was an absolute gentleman, friendly to everyone, and always willing to pitch in with our work. Jack’s commitment to trade unions and working people was absolute and he was involved in many organizations committed to social justice and workers’ rights. All of us in ALHI are going to miss Jack’s encouragement and participation. We’ll keep struggling in your honour, Jack!