1935 – 2022
Mr. Dan Shupenia passed away the morning of Wednesday, October 12, 2022, while in the Innisfail Health Centre at the age of 87 years young.
Dan was born on the farm in Manitoba, the second child of seven and grew up in the Komarno farming community. He finished high school in Teulon, Manitoba and began teaching in a one room school that September. After one year of teaching, Dan worked as a stock controller at Fleming Pedlar in Winnipeg. In 1961, he began working at Stony Mountain Penitentiary and moved the family to Stonewall, Manitoba.
In 1967, he transferred to the new Drumheller Institution in Alberta where he worked until 1982. The family moved to Innisfail, Alberta in 1991and Dan transferred to the Bowden Institution, where he worked until his retirement from Correctional Services of Canada. The Medal of Exemplary Service was awarded to Dan in 1985 for his devotion to Correction Services. He was an active volunteer and member of the Lions Club, Crime Stoppers and Victims Services. He also participated in school band Booster Clubs, Scouting and Sea Cadets.
Dan began driving ambulance in the 1970’s, earning his EMT Certification from SAIT in 1979 and continued to work with ambulance services for many years in both Drumheller and Innisfail. Dan’s interests included camping, snowmobiling, cooking, woodworking, building houses, gardening, car shopping and fixing things. He was an avid coffee visitor and was the tea butler for the “Sweet and Sours” barbershop group that rehearsed in their home.
Family and friends were very important to Dan, and he would be the first to lend a helping hand to anyone who needed it. He is sadly missed by his wife of sixty-five years, Joyce; his daughter, Karen (Tim), his son, Kevin (Kim), his daughter-in-law Nicola, and “adopted” daughter Annie Mae (Bill); as well as, his brothers Mike (Rosalie) and Eddie, his sister-in-law, Winona and brother-in-law Ron, numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
Dan was predeceased by his son Ken, and his brothers Bill, Alec, George, and his sister Rosie.
We would like to thank our many friends, neighbors and family for their help and support during this time. Special thanks to the staff at Innisfail Health Centre, Home Care and Heartland Funeral Services. A Celebration of Life will be held at the Innisfail United Church on Thursday, October 20, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. 4720 48 Avenue, Innisfail, Alberta, T4G 1N6. Condolences, memories and photos may be shared and viewed at www.heartlandfuneralservices.com. Arrangements in care of: Heartland Funeral Services Ltd., 4415 – 49 Street, Innisfail, Alberta. Phone: 403.227.0006
