After a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer, Robert ‘Rob’ Benjamin Armitage passed away on Monday, November 28, 2022 at the age of 65 years. He was born Robert Herlein on September 27, 1957, to Magdalena (Maggie) and Aloysius (Lloyd) Herlein. Lloyd’s work with Smith Tools Co. took the family including Maggie, their oldest son, James (Jim) Armitage, their daughter, Susan Wylie (Armitage) and Rob to many locations throughout Saskatchewan and Alberta. In 1961, they were in Red Deer, where, on December 10, Lloyd was tragically killed in a roadside vehicle accident. After Lloyd’s passing, Maggie and the children relocated to Fusilier, Saskatchewan, to be near family. In the spring of 1962, Maggie brought the family back to Red Deer, where they lived in Eastview. She raised her family as a single mom, until she remarried on October 10, 1965, to Glen Armitage. The following year, Sandra Graf (Armitage) was born. The family moved to the farm in the spring of 1968, and Maggie was killed at a train crossing, the following year on November 12, 1969. Shirley and Bill Powell (the feed man at the time) stepped in to help Glen with rearing the four children. In September of 1970, Glen adopted the Herlein children, making the name change to Armitage. Glen remarried on November 20, 1970, to Helen Morrow (nee Hagel) and added to the family, Donald (Don) Morrow, who also became an Armitage. Glenna Armitage was born October 3, 1972, and, with this, the family was complete. Rob was raised on the farm and was involved in 4H, curling and many sports activities including badminton, High School football with the Cougars, RD Packers Jr. football, and RD Titians rugby, where Rob won rookie of the year 1979, Broomball with the Windsor Walnuts, Slow Pitch both men’s and mixed, Men’s Fastball, and Senior Men’s ball with the Colt 45’s. Rob’s curling career spans several decades, where he participated in many different types of spiels from the Farmers to the Oilmen’s and everything in-between. Rob participated in twelve Provincial Men’s Curling Finals over five decades and won the 2012 Senior Men’s Championship and went on to win the World’s in 2013. But Rob did not stop there, he won Master Men’s Curling Provincials in 2019, 2020 and 2022. He also won the Canadian Title for the 2019 season. Rob loved sports and was also an avid golfer. He met Heather Blair in Grade Six and although he went through school just a grade ahead of her, little did he know that she would become his wife on May 8, 1993. Heather was the love of his life. They lived together on the farm until 2004, when the farm was sold. After moving into town, Rob pursued a career as a Heavy Equipment Operator, with TBR Contracting, a skill he learned while doing various work for Border Paving, and in the Oilfield, in his younger years. Heather and Rob became landlords before leaving the farm starting with the house Heather owned before they were married and added several properties through the years. Rob would always joke about living the dream life of a landlord. However, he and Heather completed many renovations and transformed many houses into lovely rental properties. Rob also loved to travel. He and Heather spent many holidays together in Mesa, Mexico, Hawaii, Dominican, cruising on the sea in the Caribbean and spent their honeymoon in Grand Cayman. They often travelled with family and friends as people were what made living a joy. He was always ready to tell a story and he had an uncanny recall of details from adventures long past. He had such a gift for animation and color in his story telling. His infectious laugh, love of life, respect for others, generosity and joy in friendship will be missed by so many. Rob leaves behind his loving wife, of almost thirty years, Heather Armitage (nee Blair), his brother, Jim Armitage, his sister, Susan Wylie (Dallas, Christopher and Ali), his brother, Don Armitage, his sister, Sandra Graf (Kevin, Owen and Isaac), his sister, Glenna Armitage and many other nieces and nephews, uncles, aunts, cousins and multitude of friends. Prayers will be held at Parkland Funeral Home, 6287 – 67 A Street (Taylor Drive), Red Deer, Alberta on Sunday, December 11, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 6 McMillan Avenue, Red Deer, Alberta on Monday, December 12, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. A Private Family Interment will be held at Mount Calvary Cemetery, Red Deer, Alberta. Condolences, memories and photos may be shared and viewed at www.parklandfuneralhome.com

Parkland Funeral Home and Crematorium (Red Deer)

6287 – 67 A Street (Taylor Drive), Red Deer. 403.340.4040.

ONLY LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED FUNERAL HOME/CREMATORIUM

IN THE CITY OF RED DEER.

• Date : 2022-12-03
• Location : www.ParklandFuneralHome.com & www.HeartlandFuneralServices.com