Julius Sabo

It is with immense sadness that the family of JULIUS RONALD ""RON"" SABO announce his sudden passing on Friday, July 10, 2009 at the age of 67. Ron Sabo was born in Barons, Alberta. He grew up on the family farm in the Barhill area of Southern Alberta. He lived with his wife, sons, and daughter in Picture Butte, Alberta for the majority of his life. He moved with his family to Lethbridge in 1992.

Ron worked his entire career with Rogers Sugar and its predecessor companies from the time he was 16 until his retirement at age 58. A skilled tradesman, Ron was a ticketed Welder, Millwright and Steam Engineer. He supervised hundreds of crewmen over the course of his career in the sugar industry.

He enjoyed his garden, wine making, fishing, traveling, dancing, and fixing just about anything.

He is survived by his loving wife Anne (Chapman), son Mark Sabo, daughter Alison Sabo Garner and son-in-law Dan Garner. The immediate Sabo family consisted of seven children including Ron, his brother Zolton (Mona), Margaret (Mike Schneyder), Helen (Leo Heinonen), Carol (Stanley ""Butch"" Rosen), Elizabeth ""Betty"" (John Heinonen), and his younger sister Rose (Doug Oler). Also, Ron is survived by his brother-in-laws Thomas (Joan) Chapman and Donald (Judy) Chapman. His nieces and nephews, cousins, close relatives, and friends are too numerous to mention but he treasured them all.

He is predeceased by many beloved family members; his son Jason, his parents Julius and Elizabeth (Sera) Sabo, his brother-in-law and sister John and Elizabeth (Sabo) Heinonen, brother-in-law Leo Heinonen, brother-in-law Butch Rosen, brother-in-law Keith Chapman, and parents-in-law Thomas and Margaret (Heaton) Chapman.

A Funeral Service will be held at 1:00pm, on Friday, July 17, 2009, at ST. ANDREW'S PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 1818 - 5th Avenue South, Lethbridge, Alberta, with Reverend Hector Rose officiating. A private family interment will take place at Mountain View Cemetery at a later date.

Donations in lieu of flowers may be made in Ron's name to the Arthritis Society of Alberta, Suite #200, 1301 - 8th St., S.W., Calgary, AB, T2R 1B7, 403-228-2571.

Special thanks to the staff at Lac La Biche Hospital, especially the Emergency Room staff, the Lac La Biche RCMP, and the first responders to the scene of the accident. The family would like to give specific recognition and gratitude to the great teams at the Misericordia Community Hospital Intensive Care Unit who saved his wife and best friend, Anne.

Ron's sense of humour, his steadfast character, as well as this thoughtful and kind consideration of those who know him will be sorely missed.