Darrel Dean Hurtak
1952-2018
It is with great sadness that we announce the sudden passing of our brother, Darrel Dean Hurtak.
He was a much-loved brother, brother-in-law, uncle and friend to many.
Darrel was born on Jan. 8, 1952, to John and Shirley Hurtak and was raised in the Crowsnest Pass.
He loved the Pass and spent many hours hunting, fishing and working there.
Darrel’s favourite jobs in the Pass was at the Dairy working with Rudy bottling milk for the morning milk run, making some of the best mozzarella sold in Alberta and doing the milk run if needed.
Throughout his later years, he could be seen on Friday and Saturday working the bar for Bob at the Bellevue Inn. He also worked at the COSECA gas plant.
Darrel left the Pass in 1970 to attend the University of Lethbridge.
He received a degree in Education and went on to teach in the areas of Rainbow Lake, Keg River and Castor. Darrel loved to travel and as he had worked on his steam and power engineering tickets, he was able to obtain a job in Dubai and his world travels began.
He worked in Dubai for 25 years.
Darrel then moved on to supervise the construction of more LNG plants in Africa, Venezuela, United States and Thailand.
In 2015, he retired as Senior TOSTR Engineer in Thailand.
Darrel loved to socialize and entertain which led him to purchase the Halkirk Hotel in Halkirk, Ab. Darrel was a proud hotel owner and that great pride meant that he upgraded and restored the hotel into a landmark.
When Darrel was not overseas, he lived in the Castor-Halkirk area always improving the Halkirk Hotel.
Darrel had to have a state of the art kitchen as food and cooking was a great love.
Two of his favourites were making pasta and smoking meats.
He was an avid gardener and loved flowers which were abundant around the hotel.
Darrel had a passion for goose hunting and took friends and family on many ‘legendary’ goose hunts, some in the ‘bird van’.
Darrel was a generous person and gave so much to many people. He was always there to help any way he could.
He was a Ducks Unlimited supporter, a Royal Order of Moose for 44 years and a member of the Bellevue Legion for many years.
Darrel’s loss is mourned by sisters: Hazel Hurtak of Vancouver, B.C., Carol (Ken) Hungar of Bellevue, Ab. and Shirley (Dale) Linderman of Hillcrest, Ab.; niece and nephews Dana Hungar, Derek Hungar and Austin Linderman; many friends and relatives and a very dedicated Halkirk Hotel staff.
He also leaves behind his friends Leona Robertson and Lorraine Dowson.
Donations will be gratefully accepted to Canadian Cancer Society or to a charity of your choice.
Sympathies may be forwarded to the family by signing the guestbook at www.parkviewfuneralchapels.com. Parkview Funeral Chapels & Crematorium, 403-882-3141, entrusted with the care and funeral arrangements.
