April 11, 1945 - January 19, 2022
Hubert Ubel, aka "Bert", was born in Herkenbosch, Holland on April 11, 1945. He immigrated to Canada with his parents and three older sisters, Mary Dorssers, Helen (Les) Hankel, and Marg Kromm, in 1951 at the age of 6 years old and spent his formative years in Kindersley, SK, Calgary, AB and then Radium, BC, where he attended school with Elvis (or at least had all of his children believing he did until they were old enough to know better). His adult years took him on many adventures through Cranbrook and Nakusp, BC, Peace River and Leduc, Alberta, the High Arctic, and finally Salmon Arm, BC where he carved out a rich life for himself.
Bert was proud of his Dutch roots, and would claim that he had "wooden shoes, wooden head, wouldn't listen". Given his heritage, it is only natural that he was a master craftsman of all things wood: an early career in logging followed by carpentry, building log homes, and creating exceptional pieces of functional art, such as stairs, railings, tables and doors that brought out the character of each unique piece of wood and demonstrated his creativity and resourcefulness.
Bert always fancied himself a ladies' man, so it was only fair that he was blessed with four daughters. As a child, his eldest daughter Kyra (Harris) Hanson was known as "little Bert"because she looked and walked exactly like her dad, and to this day carries his stubborn streak. He taught her the importance of doing things the right way, and how to fight a good battle. Mia (Phil) Heidebrecht shares his love for spending time outdoors, and he encouraged her curiosity and critical thinking skills. Erin (Jeff) Fetterly inherited his creativity and his love for art, andshares his sense of humour (after it's been cleaned up a bit). His baby, Annika (Eric) Laurin is equally head strong, and because of her dad has a laser ability to identify bad humour long before the punchline.
The only thing that matched Bert's pride for his daughters was his love for his seven grandchildren, Mirai, Elise, Jesse, Tessa, Ogie, Josh and Jade, especially when they were well behaved. He loved to take them on his favourite bike rides, patching their knees when they wiped out, and always packed the best snacks for the picnic afterwards.
Bert loved a good spar, whether it be with words or with fists, and was defiant in the face of authority. This suited him well as a young man in the boxing ring, where he did not cut off his nose to spite his face, but he did have his nose broken multiple times. As he aged and mellowed, he discovered the sport of rugby, introducing him to an entire crew of gentlemen hooligans, much like himself. While you wouldn't always recognize it by his stature, he continued to maintain his athleticism throughout his life, working physically demanding jobs, competing in triathlons, kayaking, hiking and cycling as much as he could, all for the sole purpose of being able to absolutely rip up a dance floor!
In his retirement, Bert did not ascribe a lot of value to material possessions, unless it was an old bike in need of repair, a chainsaw, a watch, or a piece of art that may turn out to be worth a fortune. His home became a gallery for his treasures, and when anyone would visit he loved to share his latest addition or creation over an outstanding homecooked meal and a glass of bootlegged hooch.
He was a fixture at the local coffee shop, always relishing the lively conversation and debate amongst his coffee crew, and seeking out every opportunity to draw a new victim into believing one of his stories with a raunchy punchline was true. He was a good friend to many, and always willing and able to help out someone in need.
Bert passed away on January 19, 2022 at the age of 76 while vacationing in Mexico. Until his last day, he continued to share his love of art and bringing joy to the people around him.
A Celebration of Life is planned for early spring and will be structured around any gathering restrictions at that time. Please email kyradhanson@yahoo.ca to receive notice of the details once it is scheduled.
The family requests that remembrances be made in the form of sharing your favourite Bert story or joke. There was nothing he loved more than to make people laugh.