Ed Streliaf
Edward Streliaf was 87 years old when he passed away in the early afternoon of Sunday, September 25, 2022 at Foothills Hospital in Calgary.
In the last hour of his life, he listened to his is favorite song. When the music stopped, he stopped breathing and died peacefully, with his friends beside him. What a way to say goodbye to our dear Uncle, brother, neighbor, friend and, most of all, the wonderful person he was.
Ed was born on May 25th, 1935 in Forest Lawn, Calgary to Russian immigrants, and was the youngest of six siblings. He was predeceased by William (Joy) Streloff, Mary (Nick) Halisheff, Vera (George) Stonehouse, Helen (John) Romanchuk and Peter Streliaf. He is survived by many nieces and nephews and their families.
Growing up, Ed moved around frequently, living in Saskatchewan and B.C. before settling permanently in Southern Alberta. He became a Master Electrician in Calgary, and had adventures working in the Arctic and the United Arab Emirates and many construction sites.
He was proud of working as an electrician at the Banff Mineral Springs Hospital and then at the Canmore General Hospital. Later in life, he also worked for the RCMP as a night guard, followed by a few years at Canadian Tire and finally retiring at almost 70 years old.
Ed had a passion for skiing and a love for trips with his camper. Canmore was a perfect fit for him. He bought a plot of land in Canmore before the 1988 Olympic Winter Games and built his own house in the late ’80s. He lived there independently until the end of his life.
Ed was known by many as a member of the Canmore Golf Course where he held a life membership. His biggest passion was volunteering at the Canmore Nordic Centre, where he volunteered well past the age of 85.
Ed’s sisters Helen and Vera regularly included him in family celebrations and he held his family’s largest reunion on his new deck in Canmore to celebrate his 65th birthday.
His rich relationship with his Railway Avenue community spanned over 40 years. Ed knew everyone who lived there and he knew everything that happened there. He was a stronghold of his neighborhood. His neighbors were thankful as he participated in their everyday lives, birthday and dinner parties and fire-pit gatherings. They worked together on maintenance issues, art openings, and of course, he instigated most of the neighborly yard sales. Ed, being the most senior of the group, was a positive influence on many with his wisdom and years of experience.
Ed will be missed by both his relatives and by those in his neighborhood, not just because he won’t be there to lend his ice pick for the sidewalk or the right tool for the job, but because he was a dear friend.
To know Ed was to love him. We have lost a wonderful person who is now reunited with his family in heaven.
A celebration of life will be held at a future date.
Donations can be made to the charities Ed supported, The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Alberta or The Canmore & Area Health Care Foundation.
