Obituary of Edward (Ed) Peter WASSLEN

July 3, 1928 – August 1, 2021

Beloved husband, father and grandfather passed away into the arms of his Lord and Saviour on Tuesday, August 31, 2021 at the age of 93.

Ed, as he liked to be called, was raised in Binscarth, MB, and was one of eleven children, two girls and nine boys, “enough to field a baseball team,” he would always say.

Ed completed grade eleven and then moved to Winnipeg, MB, in 1945 where he began course work towards an accounting certificate. While in Winnipeg he lived with his brother Billy and began working for Trust & Loan eventually being transferred to Regina in 1950 further separating him from the girl of his dreams that he began dating in grade ten. So on February 10, 1951, Ed married the love of his life, Eileen and in July that same year moved to Calgary to begin a twenty-three year career with Canada Trust.

In 1974 Ed was given an opportunity to open a new location of MICC (Mortgage Insurance Corporation of Canada) in Winnipeg, so the family packed up and moved back to the province that they were from. A few short years later in 1978 Ed moved back to Calgary where he opened his own real estate appraisal practice, Wasslen Appraisals, after completing the course work necessary to obtain the designation of AACI (Accredited Appraiser Canadian Institute) Ed continued to work at his dream job till the age of seventy-eight.

Ed and Eileen celebrated their seventieth anniversary this past February and marking a milestone that few married couples can claim.

Ed loved all kinds of sports playing hockey as a young adolescent, then curling with his brothers and eventually with Eileen. But the sport that he loved best and played for decades was golf, so much so his license plate was ‘Ed Golfs.’ In the last few weeks of his life he was known to declare “good” shot” while watching the golf channel.

Ed served the Lord he loved in many ways but most notable was his involvement in his church and with The Gideons International of Canada. At church, Acadia Bible Chapel, he filled many roles, working with young people, being on the board of elders or deacons and on occasion sharing God’s Word with the congregation. Then later in his life at Bethany Chapel taking on the role of ushering. He joined The Gideons in 1967 where he volunteered his time in distributing the Bible to schools, hospitals and hotels in Calgary.

Ed was always smiling with a twinkle in his eye and on many occasion could not tell an entire joke without laughing so hard he could not finish leaving everyone waiting for the punchline.

Ed is survived by his loving wife, Eileen, two daughters, Cora Wasslen (Shane Snippa) and Reta Morgan (Lorne); and two grandsons, L.J. Morgan (Keshia) and Ben Morgan (Britt Hawkins).  He is also survived by four brothers, Al (Bettie), Harold, Bob and Ken (Lorna) Wasslen; as well as many nieces and nephews. Ed was predeceased by his Father Nicholas and mother Mary, both originally from Austria, sister Dora, brothers, Johnny, Alex, Billy, Theodore, and sister Kay. 

A private Family Service will be held on Friday, September 17, 2021. Condolences, memories and photos can also be shared and viewed here. If friends so desire, in lieu of flowers memorial tributes may be made directly to the Gideons Int’l in Canada, Box 3619 Guelph, ON  N1H 7A2 Telephone: (1-888)-482-4253, www.gideons.ca.

In living memory of Edward Wasslen, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes, Park Memorial, 5008 Elbow Drive SW, Calgary, AB T2S 2L5, Telephone: 403-243-8200.