Alvin ‘Alvie’ George Hand of Spruce View, Alberta, passed away at Innisfail Health Care Centre on Wednesday, September 22, 2021, at the age of 93 years.

Alvin was born to the late Bart Attrell and Eva Hand of Lacombe, Alberta on July 2, 1928. His son Donald and wife Deanna, daughter Debra, grandsons Dallas, Jordan and Luke, great-grandchildren Hudson, Kipton and Haven, numerous cousins, great cousins and a multitude of wonderful friends are left to mourn his passing. Alvin was predeceased by his loving wife Annie Mary (Ward) in 2008.

Alvin’s mother passed away shortly after he was born, and Alvin’s father remarried and moved to British Columbia when he was six years old. Alvin stayed in Lacombe and lived with his grandparents, George and Jemina Hand. He adored his grandparents and would often share stories about his days growing up on the family farm under the watchful eye of Grampa Hand. Alvin attended Central School and enjoyed sharing stories of his days playing baseball. At age 13, Alvin left Lacombe for New Westminster, British Columbia, where he found work at a lumber yard and boat dock. It was hard work for a boy his age, but he often referred to it as the foundation for what became an incredible work ethic. He returned to the Lacombe area at age 17, where he started exploring what would turn into a lifelong love of farming and began working fields for area farmers. Working for Cliff Bailey on the Bob Tail Ranch with Doug Hand was one of Alvin’s fondest and most spoken about memories.

During the winter months, Alvin worked at the Texaco station in Lacombe. He would always recall his time there with a smile on his face because this is where he would meet his future bride. Annie worked at Jenkins Groceteria and would walk past the station twice a day to and from work. Alvin would make sure he was always close to the sidewalk so he could smile and say hello. He eventually worked up the courage to ask her on a date that ultimately led to a union lasting 57 years. Alvin George Hand married Annie Mary Ward on March 19, 1951, at the Grace Methodist Church in Lacombe. When asked about their wedding day, they would both smile and recall how the worst spring storm in years had hit the area the day before, and they were not sure whether their wedding cake, which was coming by train from Sylvan Lake, would arrive on time. Alvin would also tell the story of how he and his best man Bill Caverhill set out the night before, driving through knee-deep snow, getting stuck and shoveling out, to make sure he would be at the church the next day.

The happy couple began married life in a tiny two-room house North of Joffre, Alberta. Although Annie was a city girl, she quickly took to farm life and together, they embraced their new future, and farming became a way of life. In 1956 they moved east of Innisfail to a farm they rented from Harold and Marg Thurston. Then, in 1958, they were introduced to a beautiful half-section farm owned by Art Kure in the tiny hamlet of Spruce View, and in early 1959 they purchased that farm and would start their family. Both Alvin and Anne often recalled how expensive the farm was, but they fell in love with it and were determined to become successful farmers.

Alvin and Anne thoroughly enjoyed their new farm and ambitiously began raising Duroc pigs, feeder cattle, chickens, turkeys and even peacocks in addition to farming the half-section. Alvin was a life-long John Deere man through and through, and even though John Deere was not popular in the area, he bought a brand-new John Deere 3010 tractor, which became the first of many pieces of John Deere machinery sold to farmers in that area.

During the 60s, farm equipment such as swathers and combines were sold without cabs, leaving farmers exposed to the elements. So, after years of dealing with wind, heat, rain, dust and mosquitoes, Alvin designed and built a cab for his John Deere Model 55 combine. Not realizing at the time, but farmers in the area had taken notice.

Throughout the 50s and 60s, Alvin was an active member of the Social Credit Party in Alberta. He thoroughly embraced the fundamentals of which the party was built and remained a firm supporter well into the later part of his life.

In 1958 they adopted their son Donald, and in 1961 they adopted their daughter Debra. In 1985 Alvin was introduced to the first of his three grandchildren with the birth of Dallas Delaney. From this day forward, Alvin would affectionately be known as ‘Papa.’ In 1987 Jordan Wayne joined the family, and in 1991 Alvin welcomed Lucas Mackenzie to the family.

Alvin and Anne attended church regularly and were members of the United Church of Canada. In 1968 they were given an opportunity to assist in setting up and managing a College Boarding School farm in Jamaica. They jumped at the chance, sold the farm machinery, rented the land and headed out on their new adventure.

The farming operation in Jamaica started with just a few pigs. During Alvin’s time there, he expanded it to produce pork, chicken and imported dairy cows from the US. He also cleared land to grow a variety of fruit and vegetables for the rapidly expanding school. He had a staff of over 14 and introduced the school to its’ first John Deere tractor, which may well have been the first John Deere in Jamaica at the time. He became very well-known and respected at Knox College and the surrounding area, and his name will still pop up from time to time as past students and faculty share memories.

When Alvin and Anne returned to Canada in 1972, they planned to resume farming; however, purchasing machinery was more expensive than expected. When a few farmers in the area requested Alvin build a cab for their combine, like the one he built for his years earlier, it sparked a business idea. Alvin quickly went to work updating his original design and incorporating features that would make the design more adaptable to a wider variety of makes and models. He knew he was on to something and renovated a hog barn on the family farm to become his workshop. He started manufacturing cabs on a larger scale, and this was the beginning of a new metal fabrication business called Spruce View Metal Form.

His skills, experience, and hard work paid off as the small home business grew into a successful company. He designed, built, sold, delivered and installed cabs for farmers as far away as Manitoba. With the help of his wife Anne and several neighbors, the business quickly outgrew the farm and in 1978 relocated to a purpose-built 15,000 sq. ft. Behlen building at the Innisfail Airport. The business flourished, and in 1989 Alvin sold the company to his employees. Metal Form Ltd. continues to be a successful business today.

Alvin had many hobbies and interests, one of which was flying. He was one of the first to earn a pilot’s license from the newly formed Innisfail Flying Club. His instructor was Pat Johnson, and he took his first solo flight on skis instead of wheels, a complement to his zest for adventure! He purchased his only airplane, a PA12, in 1985, the same year his son Donald would earn his pilot’s license. His passion for flying continued well into his late 80s, providing him over 60 years of enjoyment.

Another interest of Alvin’s was sailing. In 1977, Alvin and Anne received an invitation to visit the Cayman Islands from Colin Ross, a faculty member of Knox College who had recently moved there. They quickly accepted the invite and realized straight away this was a place they wanted to visit often.

They purchased a property in the district of Bodden Town, with no access road and surrounded by heavy, dense bush. Equipped with a machete, Alvin cut a path through the brush to find the exact location he would eventually build a house. He then designed and built a 2-bedroom home incorporating an indoor garden and wooden jalousie windows to double as hurricane shutters. Next, he imported a John Deere 910 tractor to clear and level almost 3 acres of land, built a 1600 sq. ft. workshop and became a consistent visitor to the Cayman Islands for the next 40 years.

While spending winters in the Cayman Islands, Alvin got to know another avid pilot and adventure seeker, George Hawley, and together with a group of friends, built a Zenair CH701. When he wasn’t building airplanes, he could be found in his workshop or on the water sailing his beautiful 18′ fixed keel sailboat called “The Debra Ann.” He taught himself to sail and would often test his skills by purposely getting into situations most sailors try to avoid. However, Alvin thrived on adventure, and many of his passengers still lovingly share their sailing experiences with Alvie Hand to this day!

After retiring from the manufacturing business, Alvin was restless and needed something to occupy his time, so he developed a system that would store multiple aircraft together, allowing each one to move freely in and out of the hangar without touching or disturbing another plane. He called his invention the RAC – Rotating Aircraft Carrier. To house the newly developed RAC, he engineered a round hangar with one solid door, virtually unheard of at the time. When engineers had difficulty understanding how it would work, he built a 70′ square hangar at the Olds Didsbury Airport to demonstrate his concept. That building and RAC are still in operation today. When he introduced his idea to friends in the community, George Flake and Melvin Smith jumped on board, and together they formed a new company called ShelterCorp International.

Alvin was always quick to help anyone in need. He was known for his kindness, generosity and spirit of adventure. He was always willing to listen to a new idea and often became personally involved with many of those ideas. He enjoyed sharing his thoughts on a wide variety of topics, from politics and farming to flying and health, and so much more. He was an avid reader and learned a little something about almost everything. You could count on him to always figure out a way to either build it or fix it. His smile was infectious, and people often remarked on how gentle his spirit was. He was a visionary. A man ahead of his time and his legacy will live on for many years. His family and friends will miss him dearly.

We all miss you Papa and love you to the moon and back.

In honor of Alvin’s life, a service will be held at the Spruce View Hall, to be announced. Interment will follow at the Innisfail Cemetery, Innisfail, Alberta

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Young Eagles Flying program out of the Innisfail Airport. This program provides youth age 8-17 an opportunity to fly in their first airplane and introduces them to the many options available through aviation. Condolences may be sent or viewed at www.heartlandfuneralservices.com. Arrangements in care of: Heartland Funeral Services Ltd.
4415 – 49 Street,Innisfail, Alberta Phone: 403.227.0006 Fax: 403.227.6437

• Date : 2021-09-29
• Location : www.ParklandFuneralHome.com & www.HeartlandFuneralServices.com