Obituary for Josip "Joe" Jesenovec
Josip Jesenovec
February 20, 1934 - October 23, 2019
Husband, Father, Opa
Josip (Joe) was born in the town Križevci, Croatia to Ivan and Kata. He was the youngest of 3 children. His father Ivan died when Joe was an infant and he was raised by his mother and aunt (Barbara). As for many, life during and after the second world war was filled with hardship, yet he had many friends and loved playing soccer. He joined the army at the age of 17 and later became a shoemaker by trade.
In 1960 at the age of 25 he fled communist Yugoslavia by train and settled and worked in Wangen, Göppingen, Germany for 14 months until he obtained his papers to immigrate to Canada. He settled in Toronto, Canada where his sister had immigrated earlier. He found work as a shoemaker for the J.D. Carrier Shoe Company. In 1964 Joe met his future wife Anna (nee Horvath) at the El Mocambo Cocktail Bar and Dance Hall, a fitting place to meet as they both loved to dance! Ten months later they were wed and one year later they welcomed their first child, a daughter, Katarina followed two years later by a son, Bernard. They enjoyed living in Toronto and had established themselves in both the Croatian and Austrian communities.
In 1973, after retraining as a butcher and gaining employment at Canada Packers, the family moved to Calgary where Joe continued to work for the company until it closed in 1991 and Joe retired. In 1975, Joe and Anna purchased a small 10 acre property with a tiny two room cabin just outside of Wetaskiwin, Ab. They traveled almost every weekend with the kids to tend to a beautiful ½ acre vegetable and flower garden, to fix up the old cabin and to enjoy the nearby lake. This piece of property was a source of immense pride and a dream realized for both of them as they felt so blessed to own land in their adopted country. Joe and Anna enjoyed making their own cured meats, smoked sausages and dad was an avid winemaker.
When the kids married, Katarina (Mark Edwards), Bernard (Janice Burnyeat) and had children of their own Joe celebrated the growing family. He loved his grandchildren Christopher, Madeline, Cole and Samantha dearly! When he could, he would attend their school and sporting events. He was incredibly proud of all their accomplishments and was so happy to share stories and photos of their achievements with friends and family.
In the late 90’s Joe was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. This became a great challenge for him, yet he continued to live life despite his growing disability. In 2012, Joe and Anna moved to Coquitlam, BC to enjoy a milder climate and to be closer to family as Katarina and Mark lived a short distance away in Port Moody. Joe loved their new place which was located across from Lafarge Lake, enjoying their wonderful neighbors, beautiful walks around the lake and Sunday dinners with family. In 2017 Joe fell and broke his hip. After surgery and a difficult recovery, he was transferred to Foyer Maillard Long term care. Anna visited every second day for almost 2 years as they made the best of a challenging living arrangement. His family visited weekly to share family stories, enjoy walks in the garden or to assist with meals.
Recently, Joe’s health started to decline and he developed pneumonia. He received wonderful care from the care staff and his doctor, Dr. Nick Petropolis. Joe passed away peacefully on October 23, with his loving family at his bedside.
Joe is survived by his wife of 55 yrs, Anna (nee Horvath), daughter Katarina (Mark), son Bernard (Janice) and 4 grandchildren Christopher and Madeline Edwards and Cole and Samantha Jesenovec. He is predeceased by his sister Zdenka and survived by his sister Katica in Ontario.
The family would like to thank the care staff at Foyer Maillard for their kindness and excellent care. A heartfelt thank you to Dr. Nick Petropolis for his thoughtful and compassionate care especially in Joe’s final days.
Dad, you are deeply loved and we will forever hold your memory in our hearts!
“Those we love don’t go away,
They walk beside us every day,
Unseen, unheard, but always near
Still love, still missed and very dear.”
-Author unknown-
As per our father’s request a cremation has taken place and a Memorial will be held in the Spring of 2020 to celebrate Joe’s life.
You are invited to leave a personal message of condolence.
The Edwards and Jesenovec families.
February 20, 1934 - October 23, 2019
Husband, Father, Opa
Josip (Joe) was born in the town Križevci, Croatia to Ivan and Kata. He was the youngest of 3 children. His father Ivan died when Joe was an infant and he was raised by his mother and aunt (Barbara). As for many, life during and after the second world war was filled with hardship, yet he had many friends and loved playing soccer. He joined the army at the age of 17 and later became a shoemaker by trade.
In 1960 at the age of 25 he fled communist Yugoslavia by train and settled and worked in Wangen, Göppingen, Germany for 14 months until he obtained his papers to immigrate to Canada. He settled in Toronto, Canada where his sister had immigrated earlier. He found work as a shoemaker for the J.D. Carrier Shoe Company. In 1964 Joe met his future wife Anna (nee Horvath) at the El Mocambo Cocktail Bar and Dance Hall, a fitting place to meet as they both loved to dance! Ten months later they were wed and one year later they welcomed their first child, a daughter, Katarina followed two years later by a son, Bernard. They enjoyed living in Toronto and had established themselves in both the Croatian and Austrian communities.
In 1973, after retraining as a butcher and gaining employment at Canada Packers, the family moved to Calgary where Joe continued to work for the company until it closed in 1991 and Joe retired. In 1975, Joe and Anna purchased a small 10 acre property with a tiny two room cabin just outside of Wetaskiwin, Ab. They traveled almost every weekend with the kids to tend to a beautiful ½ acre vegetable and flower garden, to fix up the old cabin and to enjoy the nearby lake. This piece of property was a source of immense pride and a dream realized for both of them as they felt so blessed to own land in their adopted country. Joe and Anna enjoyed making their own cured meats, smoked sausages and dad was an avid winemaker.
When the kids married, Katarina (Mark Edwards), Bernard (Janice Burnyeat) and had children of their own Joe celebrated the growing family. He loved his grandchildren Christopher, Madeline, Cole and Samantha dearly! When he could, he would attend their school and sporting events. He was incredibly proud of all their accomplishments and was so happy to share stories and photos of their achievements with friends and family.
In the late 90’s Joe was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. This became a great challenge for him, yet he continued to live life despite his growing disability. In 2012, Joe and Anna moved to Coquitlam, BC to enjoy a milder climate and to be closer to family as Katarina and Mark lived a short distance away in Port Moody. Joe loved their new place which was located across from Lafarge Lake, enjoying their wonderful neighbors, beautiful walks around the lake and Sunday dinners with family. In 2017 Joe fell and broke his hip. After surgery and a difficult recovery, he was transferred to Foyer Maillard Long term care. Anna visited every second day for almost 2 years as they made the best of a challenging living arrangement. His family visited weekly to share family stories, enjoy walks in the garden or to assist with meals.
Recently, Joe’s health started to decline and he developed pneumonia. He received wonderful care from the care staff and his doctor, Dr. Nick Petropolis. Joe passed away peacefully on October 23, with his loving family at his bedside.
Joe is survived by his wife of 55 yrs, Anna (nee Horvath), daughter Katarina (Mark), son Bernard (Janice) and 4 grandchildren Christopher and Madeline Edwards and Cole and Samantha Jesenovec. He is predeceased by his sister Zdenka and survived by his sister Katica in Ontario.
The family would like to thank the care staff at Foyer Maillard for their kindness and excellent care. A heartfelt thank you to Dr. Nick Petropolis for his thoughtful and compassionate care especially in Joe’s final days.
Dad, you are deeply loved and we will forever hold your memory in our hearts!
“Those we love don’t go away,
They walk beside us every day,
Unseen, unheard, but always near
Still love, still missed and very dear.”
-Author unknown-
As per our father’s request a cremation has taken place and a Memorial will be held in the Spring of 2020 to celebrate Joe’s life.
You are invited to leave a personal message of condolence.
The Edwards and Jesenovec families.