Obituary of Roy Alton Needham

The family of Roy Needham regret to announce his passing away November 25, 2012. He was born August 7, 1931 on the Needham homestead at Rowley, Alberta. He was the 12th child of Fred and Bertha Needham. At age 9 he went to live with a family east of Big Valley, attending a country school and helping out on the farm. At age 16 he went to work seismograph, then on to working big rigs. In 1953 he married the love of his life Viola Fraser. In 1955 after an accident on the rigs, he started working on farms. In 1969 he returned to the oil patch, driving vacuum trucks, steamers, water trucks, cleaning tanks at oil refinery’s, to back hoes and cats digging pipelines. He raced pony chariots for a hobby on weekends. Retirement found him back helping farmers and brushing coyote hides during the winter. He leaves to mourn, his wife of 59 years Viola of Stettler; two daughters Elaine (Arnie) Schickerowsky of Stettler and Hollie (Paul) Buus of Calgary; five granddaughters Carrie (Colin) Woelk, Dawn Edwards, Tammi (Leszek) Fox, Jamie Fox and Jody Fox; nine great grandchildren Taylor, Devon, Autumn, Rayden, Tyler, Matthew, Sophie, Cheyanne and Jasmine; two brothers Clarence (Olga) of Rocky Mountain House and Gordon of Calgary; two sisters Ina Moore of Chilliwack and Irene DeWitt of Airdrie; numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends. Roy is predeceased by his parents; five brothers, four sisters, four sisters in law, three brothers in law, four nephews and one niece. At Roy’s request there will be no formal funeral and a private family funeral will be held at a later date. Memorial donations may be made to a charity of your own choice c/o Stettler Funeral Home, Box 1780, Stettler, AB, T0C 2L0. Sympathies may be forwarded to the family by signing the guestbook at www.stettlerfuneralhome.com. Stettler Funeral Home, 403-742-3422, entrusted with the care and funeral arrangements.