It is with great sadness that we announce the sudden passing of Rudy Snopek, age 63, of Whitecourt, Alberta. He leaves behind his wife of 37 years Glenda, his son Rod and his wife Brenda and grandchildren Jordan, Victoria, Hayley and Rylan, and his daughter Karla and grandchildren Kody and Samantha and his mother Olga to carry on his dreams. Rudy was predeceased by his youngest son Ryan, his father Joe.

Rudy set out to make a difference in the communities that he lived in, firstly in Travers/Enchant where he farmed and took an active role in the community through his involvement with the church and his sons' sports activities. Rudy and his family moved to the Red Deer area in 1986 and Rudy went back to school and received two educations - one involving the large world that we now live in and the academic education. At Red Deer College he became a mentor and confidante to many of the students, and at Olds College he was a friend to his fellow classmates and faculty members. He left Olds College with diplomas in Land Resource Management and Land Agent. He worked for the County of Red Deer as a Weed Inspector for a number of years, then turned his attention to safety. Rudy enjoyed the years he spent as a Weed Inspector, going throughout the County trying to eradicate the noxious weeds. He developed a very keen eye for spotting any unwanted weed from his truck window. He also believed there was a need for educating future weed inspectors and he set about developing a Weed Inspector Course. As his attention turned to safety he became a member of the Canadian Society of Safety Engineers working hard to bring safety into the work place. After leaving the County of Red Deer, Rudy traveled throughout the province going to the Oil & Gas construction sites as a Safety Officer, where we know that he touched the lives of so many. At the time of his passing he was working for Phoenix Industrial Maintenance out of Whitecourt as their Safety Manager. Rudy was totally committed to a safe work environment whether it was for his office staff or his men in the field. Rudy was a firm believer that safety starts with ourselves and works outward.

Rudy always enjoyed the moments he spent with his grandchildren whether it was watching them play hockey, ball, figure skating or providing leadership through puppet shows and singing and even when they were to help out building fences. He was a real handyman - helping out anyone who would ask for his assistance and had the patience to have it done his way. Rudy will truly be missed for his strong beliefs and his ability to listen, his attitude that everyone has the ability to make out of life what they want, that tragedies happen to make us all stronger and if you want to change something, you have to change yourself first.

A Funeral Service will be held at 1:00PM on Thursday, November 15, 2007 at MARTIN BROS. RIVERVIEW CHAPEL, 610 - 4 Street South, Lethbridge, with Reverend Larry D. Hankinson, officiating. Interment to follow in Archmount Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family would request that donations be made to the charity of choice or to the Canadian Diabetes Association 210d, 12 A Street North, Lethbridge, AB T1H 2J1.