Joel Robert Fersch

Joel, we will miss you on the holidays and whenever your Dad came down, you were here to visit. Xmas, you and Ben seeing who could eat the most perogies and cabbage rolls, putting air in our house and when the furnace broke, giving us heck, telling us you could have put in a new furnace for that price, telling us to call you next time.. you were just like a grandson to us and we will dearly miss you. I'm sure you are watching us from above, especially the love of your life Tiawna. Till we meet again.

Joel Fersch: What can I say that hasn't already been said many times over? He was a friend to me in a small amount of time. Met him through John Richardson and playing floor hockey together. Which turned into doing hockey, biking, soccer, renovations and helping other mutual friends build things at their homes. We weren't always close and perhaps not much time to spend other than parties and a really fun cancun trip. But he definitely was someone that you remembered and even if you didn't see him for months, he acted as if he just saw you yesterday. As if no time had passed at a all. The conversations and beers we would have after floor hockey and constant debates on how things should be built or done in many different facets of life. He definitely challenged you mentally. Joel was extremely smart and always strived to learn more. He loved his toys. One of the last times saw him was on a job site for a home builder as he was doing rough ins for duct work. He was so excited for a new tool he just got from his boss. It was a power cutter to cut abs piping off after you fed the pipe outside. That way he just held it and it did the work for him instead of using a hacksaw, he showed me and had such a "kid at Christmas" smile on his face, I laughed so hard at him. God love you Joel, I know you're somewhere helping someone right now.

Joel, where do I even start??? from the first time I met you ( the double date with Kevin and Mackenzie at the movies seeing anchor man 2, hahaha) I knew we were going to be mates for ever! you buying the popcorn and letting me eat pretty much all of it, I knew you were going to be one of those amazing people that I meet on my travels and never forget. You were the third person I met and became my best friend!! Our friendship grew stronger and stronger -- was this because us girls (Kaitlyn, Taylor and I) would kidnap you every weekend? pick you up Friday after work and make you hang out with us and stay at our house until Sunday night. haha. I say "we made you" but i'm pretty sure you loved it! haha Always fixing things for us - a house full of 4 girls we really appreciated everything you did for us. I mean you even ate my cooking!!! lol You taught me so many things, hugged me when I missed home, looked after my drunk ass, brightened my day every time I hung out with you. From the long road trip conversations about cars on the way to shu-swaps, to the singing and dancing and just making plain fools of ourselves -- there was never a gloomy day with you around. Never ever did i see you get angry or yell -- even when I painted over the power socket in your condo when I was helping you paint it lol. you looked at me, laughed so hard you cried and then shook your head :) Gosh there are so many things that I want to tell everyone about you -- but the one story that really shows who you are and how much of a caring person you are was the time I crashed my car. Good old sask winter -40 and I smash the front end of my car, you and T come over at like 9 pm to look at it, I am balling my eyes out and saying that I hate it here and I wanted to go home. you hugged me, said everything will be alright, talked to my dad on the phone about what happened, told me what I needed to do, and even offered to try and fix it yourself for me. cos that's the kind of person you are!! you have a heart of gold!! and then I locked the keys in the car, and then we laughed so hard my stomach hurt -- but you stayed and helped and we got those keys out! It was so bloody cold, and late at night and i'm sure you wanted to be anywhere else but... you, you are a best friend and that's what you do! Years come to my eyes every time I think about these memories (and so many more) -- I can't believe how much you touched my life in just 3 short years. What I would do to have you back in our lives! to play one last game of beer pong - and well maybe you would let me win??? I am never ever going to forget you!!! love you always! xoxox

When I first started dating Travis I got to know Joel very well as they grew up together and were great friends. He was so easy going and could talk, and talk and talk whether he just met someone or knew them for years! He was so friendly and kind. We had many fun times together playing drinking games, hearing him chat about memories with Travis and Woody, and just hanging out as he lived with us on a few occasions when he went to Siast. Joel had a big heart and I will miss him, Sending love and prayers to Joel's friends and family.

He was one of the most amazing people I have ever met. He could light up any room with either a word, a laugh or.. I guess you could call it a "Joelism." I was lucky enough to play ball and dodgeball with him. Competitive? Yes, he was! But kind and always there to teach and show people a new way. Jenga will never be the same. T-Rex arms or a leg wrestle... (you would never win if he was your challenger). He loved with all of his being and he will be loved and missed more than these mere words can describe. T, I love you. He was your person. But just know there are a ton of other people here when you need us for a talk, a smile, a drink. We love you.

My thoughts and heart go out to Joel's family, friends and Tiawna. I remember the first time Tiawna introduced Joel to our friend group. I have to admit us girls can be very hard to handle but he right away fit in and took care of us. He was our strong friend picking us up, wrestling us. He laughed with us and would do all our events which always involved themes and costumes. I will always remember his ninja turtle onesie and sweater vest. He was good at everything he tried. Including many party games he introduced me to. I don't thank you for those games as I always had tough Sundays of recovery. A piece of our friend group is now missing but will never be forgotten. He was kind, funny and always making us girls feel special. to Joel's parents you raised such an amazing man! Thanks Joel for taking good care of one of my best friend. I know you will be looking out for her from up there and I promise we will watch out for her from here. Until we meet again!

In the time that we got to know Joel he always brought a laugh to every conversation and always made everyone around him feel special!! I loved watching Joel and Tiawna together, they are two peas in a pod!! You made each other so happy, it is a perfect bond! I know Tanner will miss his video game buddy! Thank you Joel for being a ray of sunshine into all of our lives! We will miss you but you will always be with us! Until we meet again my friend!

Dear Tiawna - you are in my thoughts during this extremely difficult time. I hope your memories give you comfort and having great friends and family who are there gives you strength. Brenda and Wayne Ireland

I will miss Joel's witty personality and the good times had with him playing slo pitch. It's all so hard to understand when someone gets taken too soon like this, I truly believe in the saying "only the good die young", rest in peace buddy