Obituary of Clarence John Hepp

In Loving Memory of

Clarence John Hepp

December 9, 1937 ~ March 5, 2026

Clarence John Hepp was born on December 9, 1937 in Castor, Alberta. The 7th of 8 children and the youngest boy of Frank & Elizabeth Hepp.  Along with his siblings, he grew up on the family farm north of Castor and went to school in the area.

On November 27, 1965, Clarence married a smart, strong, and beautiful local farm girl, Carol Matier.  She would remain the love of his life.  They decided to make their home on Carol’s family farm north of Halkirk.  Quickly Clarence was outnumbered in the house by girls as daughter Lisa arrived in 1969, followed by Kimberly in 1975 and Tara in 1977.  Clarence and Carol worked hard together to build their farm, while enjoying time with friends, music and dancing, camping, and sports.  He was especially good at the polka and loved getting his girls up dancing.  Clarence was an avid ball player and would participate in the local community “sports days”.  Carol also enjoyed softball and played with the ladies team, the Halkirk Jays.  Clarence would go on to coach the Halkirk Jays to 2 provincial championships.  This was an accomplishment that brought him pride and many fond memories.  He loved sharing the sport with Carol and he truly admired and adored the ladies on that team. 

Clarence and Carol built a new house on the farm and moved in just before Christmas in 1979.  This provided much needed space, as his family of 5 was living in a 1-bedroom house that was originally meant to be a temporary accommodation.  Along with the excitement of a new home, came fear and uncertainty when Carol was diagnosed with cancer at the young age of 36.  She would undergo difficult treatment, and reach remission facing each day with determination and grace.  During these years Lisa, Kim, & Tara were all involved in figure skating. Clarence drove the girls to many practices and training sessions, while Carol provided constant support in the stands.  Some may remember the flurry of activity on the dining room table as Carol and Rilla made multiple skating costumes for each girl to wear in the yearly Castor Skating Carnival.  Sharing this with her daughters filled Carol with joy and purpose.  Cancer would return a few years later and she passed away on June 29, 1984.  Friends and neighbours would rally around our family during that difficult time, keeping food on the table and the farm equipment running as Clarence supported his daughters and learned to navigate this new version of family.

Clarence would find companionship and love again with Marsha, and happily take on the role of step-father for a time.  When Marsha’s youngest son died tragically, Clarence felt as though he had lost a child of his own. The grief was more than they could bear, and they would eventually separate.

The same friends and neighbours that assisted Clarence in the past would come to his aid again in 1989 when he suffered a near-fatal brain aneurysm.  Brain surgery, and a month in the hospital, left him weaker than he had ever been.  This was the 2nd or 3rd time he had cheated death, and in true Clarence fashion he picked himself up, dusted himself off, and kept moving forward.  He made the decision to stop grain farming and only raise cattle, which is actually what he loved most about farming anyway.  

This change at the farm freed up some time for him which was good, because the grandchildren started arriving.  Thirteen in total. Connor, Braden, Megan, Kayla, Tylene, Cody, Tanner, Rayden, Bailey, Gavin, Liam, Brodie, & Lexie.  He could not have been happier to have these kids in his family.  Clarence felt blessed to live long enough to know the four great-grandchildren that would join the family.  Seth, Jace, Reid & Mia.  Whether he was cheering at a sports game, enjoying Christmas morning, sharing a drink with the older ones, or getting hugs from the little ones, he loved it all.  Of all the roles that Clarence had throughout the years - son, brother, husband - “Papa” is the role he cherished the most.  Papa’s legacy lives on in his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, who will always carry his love, his lessons, and a little bit of his stubborn strength.

In 2001 Clarence sold the farm and moved to Forestburg to retire.  He bought a little bit of land with a little house, across the street from the golf course.  This was perfect for him because there was enough room to have campfires in the yard, ride the lawnmower, and he even hosted a Hepp family reunion there.  Lori was a cherished companion to him then, and they enjoyed time there together.  The proximity to the golf course was also perfect, as he had taken up the sport in middle age.  He enjoyed the game immensely, and became quite skilled at it.  Many of his children and grandchildren can attest to how annoying it was when Clarence would hit the ball straight down the middle every single time, while the rest of them did not.  He spent much time waiting patiently in his golf cart while they searched in trees or stood at the side of a water hazard wondering how they were going to retrieve that little white ball that wasn’t supposed to be there.  He didn’t mind waiting though, he just loved the time he spent playing golf with family and friends, and sharing the sport with the kids.  He had only one small issue with golf…a damn tree in the middle of one of the fairways of his local course.  He had hit it enough times from the tee box that the Forestburg Golf Club actually put a sign on the tree that read “Clarence’s Tree”.   Everyone got a chuckle out of that, including Clarence, who would proudly draw your attention to the sign after he had just hit that tree again.

His time in Forestburg brought new friends and acquaintances.  Especially important to Clarence was the group of “old boys” that he coffee’d with every day.  His days went something like this:  Meet the boys early for breakfast at the golf course, and get in 9 holes.  Have lunch, a quick afternoon nap, and then meet the boys at the coffee shop uptown about 2 pm.  Life was pretty good.  When he wasn’t golfing or coffeeing, he was on the road to Camrose or Stettler to meet family members for a visit over lunch.  The only thing that would keep him home for any length of time was the World Series.  He watched every game.  As a baseball lover, he was thrilled in 2017 when Kim and Arvid took him to Toronto to attend a Blue Jays game.  A major league game was something he had wanted to experience most of his life, and he often spoke fondly of that trip because to him it was such a gift

In the spring of 2022, Clarence faced a crossroads.  Kidney damage from years ago was now affecting his health.  He must choose between starting dialysis, or doing nothing.  Clarence was not done living yet.  That first summer of dialysis, Lisa was often his chauffeur to and from Red Deer for treatment.  During those trips there was lots of good conversation about the kids, the crops, and the beautiful Alberta landscape that Clarence loved.  Eventually he was accepted into the Stettler dialysis program.  He moved to Heart Haven Lodge in Stettler so that he could be close to the dialysis unit where he attended treatment 3 days per week.  

At the lodge Clarence met new friends with whom he shared coffee, crib, and many stories about the good old days.  Living in Stettler meant that he was much closer to Tara and some of his grandchildren.A circumstance that he enjoyed as often as he could, frequently arriving unannounced at Tara & Regan’s place for a visit.Tara gave him the gift of her time, and he cherished that. There were many visits with family during those precious few years. Birthdays, Christmas’s, or just Saturday afternoon get-togethers. The conversation usually turned to the Edmonton Oilers if Jason happened to be there, and depending on how the season was going, there may have been occasional grumbling.   Mostly it was good conversation with cherished people that brought him joy. His goal was to enjoy the company of the adults he loved, while getting as many hugs as possible from the little kids that he loved even more.  He knew his days were numbered, and he was determined to make the most of them.  

Clarence never missed an opportunity to shake the hand of a friend, tell a good joke, laugh at a good story, watch a game, hug his grandkids, or say “I love you”. His really was, a life well-lived. In November 2025 Clarence’s health started to decline, and on March 5, 2026 he was reunited with his beloved Carol. Throughout the years, Clarence has truly been the heart of his family. He is the catalyst that brings people together.  His memory will live on in those who loved him, keeping family and friends connected. Just as he always wanted.

Clarence is survived by his beloved daughters: Lisa (Jason) Perron, Kim Hepp (Arvid Swanson) and Tara Hepp (Regan Burgmaier); cherished grandchildren: Connor, Braden, Megan (Pierre), Kayla (Aaron), Tylene, Cody, Tanner, Rayden (Ashley), Bailey (Wyatt), Gavin (Claudia), Liam, Brodie and Lexie; and precious great-grandchildren: Seth, Jace, Reid and Mia.

Clarence is also survived by his sisters: Marie Jackson and Ethel (Lawrence) Zinger; as well as numerous nieces, nephews & dear friends

Clarence was predeceased by his parents Elizabeth and Frank Hepp: wife Carol; siblings Barbara Ann, Doris, Marvin, Melvin and Kenneth.

Celebration of Life

1:00 P.M., Friday, March 13, 2026

Stettler Funeral Home, Stettler, Alberta

Memorial donations may be made to Alberta Kidney Foundation, 6007 1A St. S.W., Calgary, AB, T2H 0G5; Stollery  Children’s Hospital, 800 College Plaza, 8215-112 St, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2C8 or to a Local Charity of the Donor’s Choice.