Obituary for
Joseph Harry “Joe” Chilibeck
Joseph “Joe” Harry Chilibeck passed away peacefully at his home on Monday, August 15, 2022. At the time of his passing, Joe was 99 years old and had just celebrated his 75th wedding anniversary the previous January with his wife, Catherine.
Joe is survived by his loving wife, Catherine; son, Lorne; daughter-in-law, Joan; granddaughter, Jamie (Paul); grandson, Kellan (Amber); great-granddaughters, Marlowe and Esme; granddaughter, Remi; and many cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.
Joe was predeceased by his siblings, Helen, Peter, Katherine, Mary and Nick. After Joe’s mother passed away, Joe’s father remarried adding two more siblings, Elsie and John, who have also predeceased him.
Joe was born on a homestead near Mundare, Alberta on February 14, 1923. His father, Harry and mother, Annie were immigrant parents from the Ukraine and he grew up the youngest of six children.
In November of 1942, Joe joined the Royal Canadian Airforce and trained as a radio technician. He graduated as a wireless operator before being posted to Coal Harbour, B.C. Here he flew over 246 operational hours doing submarine patrol work from the 49th parallel along the west coast, all the way up to Alaska and as far as 500 miles out to sea. In March of 1945, he was promoted to Pilot Officer and while on furlough was introduced to a young schoolteacher named Catherine Samoil.
After his discharge from the Air Force, Joe returned to the family farm where he purchased a 1/4 section of land from his father and gave farming a go. It was then that he finally convinced the young schoolteacher to marry him and Joe and Catherine were married January 3, 1947.
While Catherine continued to teach in various locations around Alberta, Joe decided farming was not for him. He put his radio and electronics expertise from his time in the air force to good use and joined B.C. Telephones in 1954.
In 1955, Joe and Catherine welcomed their son, Lorne into their family and decided it was time to settle down. Joe joined Edmonton Telephones and they made Edmonton their home. In 1966, he left Edmonton Telephones and Joined AGT as an Engineering Associate and continued with AGT until he retired in 1979.
In 1982, Lorne married Joan Kratchmer and soon after gave Joe and Catherine their first grandchild when Jamie Leigh was born in 1984. She was soon joined by brother, Kellan in 1986, and sister, Remi in 1990. The three grandchildren were the joy of Joe’s life and he delighted in making blanket tents, snow forts, playing games and generally acting like another kid with his grandchildren.
Joe will be remembered as a kind and gentle soul, always ready to help out someone in need and be a friend to all. His life experiences were vast and varied and could never be captured in a brief recap of his life. He will be missed by all he touched.
A private Prayer Service and interment will take place. Friends and family are invited to an informal Celebration of Life on Wednesday, August 24, 2022, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Lorne’s home. In lieu of flowers, donations in Joe’s memory may be made to the Alberta SPCA or to a charity of one’s choice.
Alberta SPCA
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Joseph Harry Joe
Chilibeck 2022..
Death notice for the town of: Edmonton, Province: Alberta