Obituary of Rocky Wade Strandquist

Rocky Wade Strandquist

July 25, 1961 – December 19, 2024

Rocky was born in Stettler a month early to Orville and Doris Strandquist and was raised south of Stettler. He had his father’s love of horses and his mother’s sense of humour.

Growing up on the farm south of Stettler, there was always lots to do. Rocky couldn’t pronounce his S’s when he was little, so when he would go snaring gophers, he would say “naring dophers.” He would make mud pies with Wanda and Cindy too…in the living room. Naturally, horses were a big part of his life. Dad convinced Mom to let him jockey at the Stettler Race Meet. “Don’t worry,” he said, because he would be riding Secret, a horse that knew what to do and Rocky just needed to stay on. Both Rocky and Secret were 10 years old and they won the race. The next year, Rocky would only ride Dad’s horse, the year after was everyone else’s horses. Dad would send Rocky and Cindy with the horses to the race meets. He may have only ridden for 8 years, but what fun he had. Just imagine the stories.

In 1979, a racing accident left him partially paralyzed. He spent time rehabilitating in the Edmonton Glenrose Hospital. When he came home on the weekends we would play cards for hours. He then moved to Calgary with Wanda to continue his rehabilitation with ARBI. After Wanda got married, he stayed in Calgary for several years living on his own. He decided to move back to Stettler where he would be able to have more freedom to move about. He would buzz around town on his scooter to volunteer at the gift shop at the hospital, run errands for some businesses and work at the auction mart lunch counter.

After several years of living on his own, he moved to Heart Haven and then to Points West.

Rocky was always ready to lend a helping hand and had a smile and joke ready to share.

As he always said, He was almost perfect.

Rocky will be missed by his siblings Faye, Judi, Ron, Wanda (Randy Armstrong), Cindy (John Parks) and Vicky (Darren Anderson), as well as numerous other family and friends.

               He is predeceased by parents Orville and Doris Strandquist; sister-in-law Sue Strandquist; brothers-in-law Ed Melville and Chuck Blakely.

Celebration of Life

Saturday, April 26, 2025

1:00 P.M.

Stettler Funeral Home

“He’s Back In The Saddle Now.”