July 5, 1921 - April 12, 2023
In loving memory ~
Born July 5, 1921, at Antwerpia, Manitoba to Jules Camille and Marie (nee Decoene) Monteyne.
He passed away peacefully after a short illness, on April 12, 2023, at the Vernon Jubilee Hospital in Vernon, B.C.
It is with hearts full of love that we share the passing of Joseph Andrew Monteyne, at the age of one hundred and one. Joe, as he preferred to be called, was a dutiful son, husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, friend, volunteer, successful businessperson, and decorated World War II veteran of the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Predeceased by his high school sweetheart and wife, Noellie (nee Tucker), and brothers and sisters Martha, Elza, Cyril, Irene, Mary-Louise, George, and Octave, Joe is survived by his sons Reginald (and Janice), Peter (and Karen), Tom (and Cathleen), Joseph (and Kimberley), and David (and Jenn), grandchildren Andrew, Cecile, Troy, Jules, Alëna, Vanya, Milo, Cleo, Ignatius, and Lincoln, and great-grandchildren Oscar, Arthur, Léo, Sydney, Nina, and Camille.
Joe's parents emigrated from Belgium at the beginning of the last century to begin life on a farm in Manitoba, where Joe was born. His father and others in the community built the one-room school and Joe was one of the first students. When Joe was twelve years old, his father passed away, forcing the family to move from their thriving mixed farm into the town of Ste. Rose du Lac. Joe became the patriarch of the family, and he worked at Monarch Lumber and other jobs to provide money for his family while continuing his schooling and completing Grade 12. It was at the Ste Rose Summer Fair where Joe first became enamoured with the airplanes that were on display and offering rides for a fee. He could not afford to buy a ticket, but a few years later, with the world at war and his country calling, Joe signed up for the Air Force.
While training to become a pilot, Joe scored so highly in navigation, mathematics, and meteorology that the instructors recommended he become a navigator. As a member of the Alouette Squadron based in England, Joe navigated a Halifax Mark III bomber on thirty-five missions over enemy territory, flying five missions more than the requisite tour of duty. After a particularly harrowing mission where he successfully navigated his plane without the benefit of instruments, Joe was decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross. He followed his service in the RCAF with a stint in the Station Intelligence Office, where his ability to speak Flemish, German, French, and English was highly valued.
At the end of the war, he returned to Manitoba and soon after married Noellie Tucker, who had, by then, completed her training as a nurse. Joe became the manager of Monarch Lumber in Ste. Rose du Lac, and during this time, Joe and Noellie were blessed with the births of first Reg, and then Peter a few years later. Joe and his family relocated to Grande Prairie, AB, to set up a new lumber yard and Tom and Joseph were born there one year apart. A few years later, the expanding family moved to McLennan, AB where the fifth son David, was born. A downturn in work caused more moving, first to Leduc, then Vegreville, next Saskatoon, and finally to Calgary where he managed a Revelstoke Building Supplies Store. Never one to rest on his laurels, Joe studied at night to become an accredited Real Estate Appraiser. His long and varied career in the construction and building materials industry provided a solid knowledge base that he drew upon as he developed the appraisals of complex and atypical properties for which he became known.
Joe and Noellie's five boys went on to become an engineer, a doctor, an architect, a professor of art history, and a professor of architectural history respectively. As his sons will attest, Joe was a great role model: diligent, trusted, careful, skilled, a hard worker, and a good provider for his family. He was disciplined, organized, and famous for his incredible memory. He loved holiday times with his family, gardening with his grandchildren, and building a family cabin at Gull Lake, AB.
After retiring, Joe and Noellie navigated their way to Vernon BC, and Joe eventually came to reside happily at Orchard Valley Retirement Residence. He was a devout Roman Catholic, a long-time member of Our Lady of the Valley Church, and a 4th Degree Knight of Columbus. Throughout his life, Joe continued to be involved in Air Force affairs related to training, visiting veterans, Remembrance Day duties, and reunions. For many years, he volunteered at the community tax preparation office in Vernon, where he took pleasure in ensuring that fellow seniors got all the tax refunds, they were due. In 2012, he was honoured with Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal for a full life of service. In 2016, Joe was awarded the rank of Chevalier (Knight) of Ordre National de la Légion d'Honneur, in recognition of his contribution to the liberation of France in the Second World War. Last year, he added author to his list of talents, by writing his life story in crystal clear detail from memory and publishing his memoir "From Ste. Rose to a Century".
The family wishes to acknowledge our good friend Marilyn Ehnes for always being there for our father whenever he needed her. We also sincerely appreciated the professional and compassionate care Joe received in his last days, from the team at Vernon Jubilee Hospital. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on the 25th of August 2023, at Our Lady of the Valley Church.
Arrangements in the care of the Pleasant Valley Funeral Home.