EARL, EDWARD CHARLES (TED)
February 25, 1945 - November 18, 2016
It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to the best husband, father and grandfather a family could wish for. Ted was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta. He graduated from Western Canada High School and went on to Mount Royal College studying recreation. Ted moved to Drumheller to work at the penitentiary as a recreation director. He met his wife, Pam, in Calgary and they were married January 11, 1969. They bought a great little home on the banks of the Red Deer river where they would welcome two beautiful daughters. Ted decided to further his education so he and his family moved to Edmonton so he could attend the University of Alberta. In 1979, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Recreation Administration. In 1981, Ted and his family returned to Drumheller so he could take the position of Superintendent of Parks and Recreation and eventually working in Disaster Services for the City of Drumheller. Ted worked for the city for 24 years, retiring in 2005. Ted will always be remembered for his love of volunteering with children. Whether he was on the swim deck coaching the Aquadinnies, on the ski hill leading his ski school, or in retirement working with kids at Greentree School, this always put a smile on his face. Ted also volunteered in two other capacities with the Drumheller Rotary Club and Ski Patrol. He was highly honoured to receive the Paul Harris Fellow Award through Rotary in 2014. He was always busy in retirement and earned the name Tonca Ted as you would constantly find him on the snow cat at the ski hill, a city mower, in a dump truck or recently on his riding mower in his back yard (oxygen bottle attached). He loved his toys! In his spare time, Ted was somewhat of an adrenalin junkie which saw him jumping out of airplanes with his daughters, white water kayaking with his buddies around Sundre, or even as late as jumping his trike at the skateboard park with his grandsons this last summer. Ted and his wife Pam loved to travel and were fortunate enough to see many parts of the world. They took many cruises which took them to Alaska, the Panama Canal, and the Caribbean. For five years they spent their winters in Arizona golfing and were fortunate to make many wonderful friends. Even then Ted was on the mower at the golf course. Ted is predeceased by his parents Dorothy and Charles Earl and is survived by his wife Pam, daughters, JoAnne (Eric), Jacqueline, grandsons John and Michael, sister Lyn Barnes (Peter), nephews Geoff Barnes (Allison), Gary Barnes (Stephanie) and their children. At Ted’s request, there will be a private family memorial at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that a donation be made to STARS or the Pulmonary Hypertension Association of Canada. Courtney-Winters Funeral Home in care of the arrangements.
