Obituary of Ted Schoff

Ted Schoff

1938 ~ 2025

Ted (Frederick) Schoff was born in Consort, Alberta in 1938.  He passed away October 8, 2025.  Ted grew up on the farm near Consort, the second oldest of five children.  He grew up roaming the prairie with siblings and friends, hunting gophers and muskrats when he wasn’t helping with chores, feeding livestock or planting gladiolas for his dad who loved horticulture.  He regularly rode horses and also trained horses for neighbours.  As a child, he rode to school in Consort in the horse-drawn school van.  After his school years, he found himself some adventure working in various road and rail construction jobs in Manitoba and Alberta, becoming a heavy equipment operator.  He was especially proud of running a dragline.  One of his notable construction projects included work on Highway 93 south of the Columbia Icefields.  The construction work enabled him to buy a farm just northeast of Bashaw with his brother, Bev, in 1960.  Ted was hardworking, fair, diplomatic and naturally skilled at operating and fixing farm and construction equipment.

In 1968 he married Gail Rider.  They built a happy home together and raised three children: Trevor, Norine and April.  Together they worked hard to build a farm, instilling both respect and love of the land in their children.  Ted was always open to new ideas that would improve the land and his farming practice.  He was a cattleman and adopted new genetics frequently to improve his herd.  He had a knack for understanding cows and was skilled at noticing changes from early detection of calving, to illness and anticipating their next move.  He continued to farm up to his last days.

Ted spent many hours helping his community as part of the Bashaw Ag Society and minor hockey.  He enjoyed hunting, fishing, travel, camping, curling and playing cards, particularly crib.  Ted enjoyed and was interested in other people.  He always took time to visit whenever he met someone and had a great ability to connect with people.  Ted spent many hours cheering for and supporting his children and grandchildren in their extracurricular activities.  He believed in doing things right because quality was important, feeling if something was worth doing it was worth doing well.  He always said good manners didn’t cost anything. Ted really enjoyed wildlife and flowers, frequently capturing them in a photo.  He loved his family and especially enjoyed being a grandfather.  His ethic of hard work, honesty and integrity leave a lasting legacy.

Ted is survived by his loving family, son Trevor (Joanne) Schoff, daughters Norine Ambrose (Glenn Siewert), and April (Paul) Kurtz; grandchildren: Jessie (Tyler) Vredegoor, Ben Ambrose, Tristan, Julia and Jason Schoff, Kami (Mitchell) Harris, Kyra (Hayden) Ronaldson, Kodi (Spencer) Comin, Keyli (Morgan) Berry, and Connor Siewert; as well as eleven great- grandchildren; brothers Bev (Jeannette) Schoff and Dale (Velma) Schoff; sisters Marie Beebe and Carol (Frank) Bonham; numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and their families and many dear friends and neighbours.  Ted was predeceased by his wife Gail Schoff and parents Emma and Russell Schoff.

Interment service for the late Mr. Ted Schoff will be held on Thursday, October 23, 2025 at 11:00 A.M. at the Bashaw Cemetery, Bashaw, Alberta, followed by a celebration of life service at 1:00 P.M. at the Bashaw Community Centre. Donations in memory of Ted are gratefully accepted to a charity of the donor’s choice.