Obituary of Joseph Louis GRIFFITH

GRIFFITH, Joseph Louis 91 years of age Dad was born on August 20, 1921 at Rockdell, Saskatchewan. He lived in Yorkton, Saskatchewan when he was young, and moved to Neepawa with his mother Georgina and brother Barnie when he was in high school. He played violin, ball, and hockey; and enjoyed curling and water skiing in his younger years. He met his wife Rosa Turner in Neepawa and they were married on September 14, 1941. They were both active members of the Anglican Church all of their lives; both church and God were important to them. When WWII broke out, he enlisted into the Canadian Merchant Navy on October 1, 1942 and trained to be a radio technician. He got his nickname “Sparks” because of this job and was stationed out of Vancouver until February 24, 1946. A Merchant Marine’s job was to deliver lumber, oil, military supplies and food to support British war efforts. Dad and his crew sailed to many places picking up these supplies; places like San Francisco, Australia, Chili, Scotland and Murmansk. The later of which, being a run to Russia, was the most treacherous of trips that dad and his Captain volunteered for. After coming home from the war, he was told he would receive no benefits and as he was now a civilian, he had no job waiting for him. However, dad soon found work in Neepawa for a while and when the opportunity to manage the Co-op in Rossburn came about, he took it. Dad was a hard worker; he wouldn’t quit until he mastered the task. This started his career with Co-op, moving from Flin Flon, Swan River, and Killarney, Manitoba; to Whitewood, Saskatchewan; and finally Strathmore Alberta. Along with the Co-op movement, dad loved square dance calling and round dancing. He square dance called in all four Prairie Provinces, which is a feat in itself. You square dancers were mom and dad’s second family. Thank you for taking such good care of them. Thanks also to the staff at the Wheatland Lodge and the Strathmore Hospital for all the good care you have given dad. It has been very much appreciated. Thank you dad from all your family for your love, friendship, guidance, and hard work. We are proud of you; you have set a high example for us to aim for. Dad is survived by his daughters Carole Huston and Lynn (Ron) Froese; grandchildren Kelly Huston, Darren (Monique) Huston, Patrick (Andrea) Froese, Allan (Michelle) Froese; great-grandchildren Chandler Huston, Jarod Huston, Madison Froese and Colton Froese; sister-in-law Nellie Boxall; and numerous nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made directly to the Alzheimer Society of Calgary (201, 222-58 Ave S.W., Calgary, T2H 2S3) or the Canadian Cancer Society (200, 325 Manning Road N.E., Calgary, T2E 2P5). A memorial service will be held Monday, September 10, 2012 at Strathmore United Church, at 11:00 a.m. To send condolences, please visit www.wheatlandfuneralhome.ca. A tribute from Joe’s grandson Dr. Darren Huston: Today is a sad day for all of us. We are here today to say goodbye to a wonderful man. It is hard for me to express just how much my grandfather meant to me. He was the pillar in our family and I always aspired to be like him. He inspired me to work hard, to be dedicated and passionate in what I do and to always do my best. He was extremely hard working and very humble, never needing or accepting credit for so much he had done. He never asked for anything in return. Today I give him all the credit. If it wasn’t for my grandpa, I would not be where I am today. Because of his hard work I was able to go to school, get my degree, and hopefully made him proud. Lately he had been telling me to slow down, work is not that important. You will never look back and wish you had worked harder or put in more hours. He said to value the most important thing to me and that is my family. A point I now fully understand. Thank you, Grandpa. You will be forever missed. P.S. I hope there is square dancing in heaven. It would be nice to see Grandma and Grandpa dancing together again. Send Condolences