Charles Joseph Herbert "Joe" Stevens

CHARLES “JOE” JOSEPH HERBERT STEVENS

   Peacefully and surrounded by family, Charles Joseph Herbert Stevens passed away one month shy of his 84th birthday.
   Joe was predeceased by his wife Joan, sister Joyce, and his parents Charles and Blanche Stevens. He is survived by his sister, Lorraine Andrew and his children Sandra (John) Dalton, Mike (Krista) Stevens and Barb (Brent) Garrioch. Joe also leaves behind his cherished grandchildren Kevin (Christina) Prior and Nolan, Avery, and Ben Garrioch.
   Joe was born in Winnipeg on January 21, 1934, and remained in the city for his entire life. He regularly regaled us with stories of his youth and time spent with the nuns at St. Ignatius Catholic School and later Kelvin High School. Joe met and married our mother Joan in the early 1960s, settling into the family home on Waterloo St. in River Heights. They would reside on Waterloo St. for the next 35 years.
   Joe spent his early working years in sales on the road covering territory through Manitoba, Saskatchewan and east to the Lakehead. In 1969, at age 34, he enrolled at the University of Manitoba and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work in 1973. These were tough times. Joe worked two or three jobs to make ends meet while raising a young family. After graduating he took a position with the federal government at Stony Mountain Penitentiary as a Classification Officer -- a job he would hold for the next ten years. It was during this time that Joe discovered his true passion in the Naval Reserves. Over the next decade he would rise through the ranks of the Reserves finally becoming a Lieutenant Commander. He loved this work more than anything and it came to define him as a person. In the mid-1980s, Joe accepted what would turn out to be the best job of his life: serving as Chief Protocol Officer for 17 Wing Air Command. During the next eight years he would plan and coordinate official visits by military and civilian dignitaries from across the world. During this time Joe and Joan travelled extensively to Europe and enjoyed some of their happiest times together. After Joan passed away in 1997, Joe relocated to Charleswood where he would make some the closest friends of his life. The "Gang" at the Charley will always have a special place in our hearts for the love, support, and companionship they showed Joe following Joan's passing, a friendship that continued for the next 20 years.
   On Wednesday, January 3, 2018 at 10:30 a.m., Joe’s Funeral Service will be held in Wojcik’s Funeral Chapel, 1020 Main Street @ Manitoba Avenue.
   Wojcik’s Funeral Chapels & Crematoriums, Winnipeg, 2157 Portage Avenue, 204.897.4665 www.wojciksfuneralchapel.com