1940-2024

Joe was born in the Rosetown, Saskatchewan.  He moved to Saskatoon, attended Holliston Public School, Nutana Collegiate and then graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with an agriculture degree. His summers were spent as a lifeguard in Waskesiu, Prince Albert National Park. Joe choose the most beautiful girl on the breakwater and he and Wendy were married in West Vancouver in 1964.

Joe was a kind, thoughtful, considerate man. A quiet, deeply intelligent man. He nurtured his childhood friendships, his teenage friends, his lifeguard buddies, his university colleagues his business acquaintances, and especially his family.

He made his career in road construction, first in Saskatoon, then North Vancouver, and then Kamloops where he became a partner in a road and concrete company. When he retired, he assisted both sons in their businesses. He and his brother Jim kept the Spark’s family Saskatchewan homestead – which is now 121 years old.

Joe loved the water. While he was attending high school he was asked to join the University swim team and compete with other universities. His other passion was scuba diving, and he visited Great Barrier Reef Australia five times, Mexico underground rivers, and swimming in Palau with the manta rays, sharks, dolphins, and turtles.

Joseph was predeceased by his parents, Joseph and Mildred, brother Jack and sister Margie, but he stayed connected to them through his many nieces, cousins and nephews.  

He will be missed by all, especially by his family: Wendy, his wife of 59 years; his children: Ryan (and partner Kathrina) and grand-children Stirling and Shea;  Howard (and wife Claudia), and grand-children Lucas, Niko and Zara; and his brother Jim.

Joe was solid. He will be missed by all. We can think of Joe cliff-jumping at Shuswap Lake with his sons and grand-children.