Irvine Steve Almadi

Irv was a family man with numerous interests. His career took him too many locations, but his heart remained in his hometown East Coulee, Alberta.

Irv’s father, Joseph Almadi, left Hungary in 1928 to settle in the Coulee where he worked as a coal miner. It took him 5 years to earn the money to bring his wife Margaret and daughter Helen to join him. Irvine was born in Drumheller April 23, 1934.

Listening to Irv share stories of East Coulee was captivating for those lucky enough to hear them. They carried with them, the humour of a time when kids were free to roam the town and the hills. Irv’s stories would have entertained W.O. Mitchell.

In 1953, Irv and his Coulee friends, Julius Bodor, Ed Bennett and Joe Fulop set out to attend Oklahoma University. Irv met Luther Cunningham a quintessential Texan who remained his kindred spirit to the end. Graduating in 1956 with his Petroleum Engineering degree he joined APEGA (Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta).

It was an apple core tossed by Laura at the handsome lad at Mount Royal College that led to their marriage in 1958 and a 62 year love affair. Irv was proud of his two daughters Karen, a lawyer, and Kimberly, a science teacher.

Irv’s career was an adventure that took him from Virden, Manitoba, to Fort Saint John, BC where he met Bill Hunka (Evelyn); this friendship resulted in Irv and Laura following the Hunka’s to Port Dover, Ontario where Irv worked on an offshore drilling platform on Lake Erie.

In 1963 Irv joined TransCanada PipeLine where he spent 16 years becoming Manager of Operations, Alberta Supply. It was there that he met his dear friends Fez Qureshi (Pat) and Moe Thomas (Donna). TCPL was a combination of work and play. Monthly trips to Toronto had a way of conveniently coinciding with CFL games. Irv also travelled to Copenhagen, Denmark to consult with the Danish government as they were developing, their oil and gas holding in the North Sea.

In 1979, Irv’s entrepreneurial spirit led him to leave TCPL. He established Almadi Resource Consultants Ltd. which was active until he retired in 1998.

The day Irv and Laura moved into their new home in 1967, their first visitor that winter was a bare-footed, army coat wearing teenager - Beth Hetherington (Kyla, Danauca, Kathy, Cameron and Isabelle). Our families have been intertwined since.

In 1970, Irv returned to his home town of East Coulee with Kimberly. Sitting on the bank of the Red Deer River, Kim commented on how quiet it was, to which Irv replied, “It’s the end of the Earth”. Irv and Laura bought a run-down, weed infested property where Irv envisioned our cottage “WrenDee”. The Hunka’s purple school bus became home for a couple years as Irv and Laura built the cabin.

The Coulee kept Irv busy in numerous ways. Locals enjoyed coming by to share time out on the deck with Mr. A – Monica Schwarz, the Stols, Lanzer, Izzy, Janet Grabner, the Stewarts, the Gerlingers and Bob Ellaby to name a few.

Irv is survived by his wife Laura, daughters Karen (Lori) and Kim (Reta), his “son” Ken Cameron, and his niece Julia Whyte and nephew Dr. Gregory Whyte. He was predeceased by his parents – Joseph (1982) and Margaret (2004), his baby brother Frank (1927), and his beloved sister Helen (2009).

A Celebration of Life will be held In East Coulee in August.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the East Coulee School Museum at https://ecsmuseum.ca/790-2/ or mail to PO BOX 514, East Coulee, AB Canada T0J 1B0