Obituary of Donald William Emmett

Don Emmett June 18, 1932 ~ November 19, 2017 Don is survived by his wife Shirley; his daughter Debra and her husband Brian; son Dale and his partner Stephanie; and the family’s caregiver Mae. He will be lovingly remembered by his family and many dear friends. Funeral Service Saturday, November 25, 2017 2:00 P.M. Knox United Church Castor, Alberta Memorial Donations may be made to a charity of your own choice. Don was born on June 18, 1932 at his grandparents, Patrick and Annie Emmetts’ homestead just east of Halkirk, Alberta. He was the eldest of Ezra and Elsie Emmett’s two children and was raised on the small family farm due west of Halkirk. Upon completing his high school in Castor, Don worked as a teacher at Apremont school in the Castor school district. On June 25, 1958, he married Shirley Hunt, the woman he cherished for the following 59 years until his death. They had two children: Debra and Dale. Following a number of years as a foreman in road construction, Don had a change in occupation to managing the local grain elevator in Castor, which allowed him to be closer to home and the family. His life involved a commitment to hard work, giving back to the community and treating everyone equally and with kindness. After he retired from the elevator, he worked as a hail adjuster, which allowed him to travel around Alberta and meet many new friends. In 1992 he obtained his real estate licence and worked with his son, Dale, at FC Hunt Agencies for 17 years. In his spare time, he was an avid curler and also coached the local ladies’ softball team, the Capri’s, for many years. He was a playing coach for the Castor Mets, the men’s softball team. Don was inducted into the Softball Alberta Hall of Fame in 1998. He served as a volunteer District Organizer for the Association for 19 years. “Don was a voice for grassroots softball promoting the sport at the community level in rural Alberta. The consummate professional, Don served only for the love of the game and his sincerity and dedication to the sport helped it grow in the 1980’s.” Don was honoured to be a councillor for the town of Castor from 1986 to 1992. He was then was given the opportunity to represent the Town as its Mayor from 1992 to 2001. These 15 years were another opportunity for Don to give back to the community for which he so deeply cared. Don was predeceased by his parents Elsie and Ezra Emmett and his brother Darrel.