Harold Jacob Joa

JOA, Harold
February 21, 1933 – December 3, 201

It is with profound sadness that the family of Harold Joa announce his passing on Wednesday, December 3, 2014 at the young age of 81 years. Dad was born in Lockwood, Saskatchewan to Sarah and Adam Joa. He was to be the third youngest of his 12 siblings. Being raised on the farm is where hard-working ethics were instilled and is what carried him on throughout his entire life. He ventured out to find work at 16 ywars of age in Alberta. He ended up planting roots in Red Deer. Dad worked from anything – as a labourer to an electrician. He prided himself in saying that he was “Jack of all Trades”. Dad was an avid fastball player in Red Deer and this is where he met the love of his life, Jayne (Quinney). They married in 1959 and soon their family grew with two children, Cheryl and Blair. Dad brought the family to Drumheller in 1968 where he took employment as a Corrections Officer at the Drumheller Institution. In his long years of service, dad received the highed honor of Commendation from Corrections Service of Canada for his courage in retaining control of the 1987 riot at the Institution. His retirement was well earned in 1994. Dad was a hard-working, honest man who also took pleasure in his yard and growing the valley’s best carrots. He loved his sports, to play, but mostly he loved cheering on his Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Calgary Flames. Dad was always counted on to help out a neighbor, wiring a house, lending a hand, to branding on a family farm. He was most proud of being a granddad to his two granddaughters, watching them grow each step at a time. Dad was a man of faith and believed in being honest and treated fairly. He was predeceased by his wife of 52 years, Jayne (2011). His siblings gone before him are Art Joa, Norbert Joa, Ray Joa, Marie Edwards, Rita Edwards and Leonard Joa. Dad will be dearly missed by his daughter, Cheryl (Martin) Elkes of Drumheller, precious granddaughters, Shelby Elkes and Brinley Elkes, both of Red Deer; son, Blair Joa of Drumheller. He also leaves behind siblings, Irene Sather of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Helen Thompson of Regina, Saskatchewan, Mildred Anderson of Lacombe, Alberta, Gerry (Rose) Joa of Red Deer, Alberta and Pat (Nellie) Joa of Lethbridge, Alberta; brother-in-law, Bruce (Margaret Ann) Quinney of Ottawa, Ontario; sisters-in-law, Margaret Finn of Ottawa, Ontario, Susan (Allan) Stewart of Guelph, Ontario, and MaryLou Anderson of Ottawa, Ontario. A Memorial Service was held on Thursday, December 11, 2014 at 11 am at St. Anthony’s Church with a luncheon that followed. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Harold’s name to either the Alzheimer’s Society of Red Deer, #105, 4419 – 50 Avenue, Red Deer, AB, T4N 3Z5  or the Arthritis Society, #300, 1301 – 8 Street, Calgary, AB, T2R 1B7.