Obituaries

January 22, 1940 – December 21, 2022

It is with incredible sadness and broken hearts that we announce the unexpected passing of Earl Clark Rimmer(Clark), age 82, on December 21, 2022, in Grande Prairie, Alberta.

Clark will be deeply missed and dearly remembered by his family as a kind and gentle soul of a man with a big heart, who loved his wife children and family more than anything. He was most content when he was spending time with them or painting. He enjoyed the company of good people, always looking to get a smile out of you with his playful humour and always ready with a story to share, of which there were plenty. He had a love of good food, travel and in his later years, art.

Clark had a way of always figuring out how to fix anything that needed fixing; as long as you had some duct tape.

Clark was born a triplet on the family farm outside Milk River (known then as Lucky Strike), Alberta, on January 22, 1940, to Glen Leroy Rimmer and Irene Scratch (Finley) of Lethbridge, Alberta. He spent his youth on the family farm in Southern Alberta and attended school in Milk River where he enjoyed basketball and track & field. He later moved to Banff, with his family, where they owned a motel. After meeting Dee, and marrying in 1965, they moved to Calgary and started a family.

Clark, never afraid of hard work, tried his hand at several vocations from a mechanic, welder, pipefitter, and construction in the pulp and paper industry and eventually the oil & gas industry before operating his own company. Over the years, Clark, Dee and their 3 children moved throughout the province, settling in Lac La Biche and Valleyview, where they made several close friends. Clark enjoyed camping with his family and friends in the summer and curling in the winter. Always open to a new adventure, Clark and Dee moved to Malaysia for two years in 1992, eventually settling back in Grande Prairie. He often spoke of his time overseas and enjoyed meeting new people, experiencing new cultures, and trying new foods, while travelling through Southeast Asia.

After Dee passed in 2004, and he retired from his career in the oil patch, Clark found his passion and solace in art, spending the majority of his days painting or stone carving. He was primarily self-taught, but also spent some time with the seniors’ art center in Grande Prairie, taking classes and enjoying the company of fellow artists. He especially enjoyed any time he had with his grandchildren, playing games, telling jokes, and doing his best to get a smile or a giggle.

Clark is predeceased by his beloved wife of nearly 40 years, Deanna, his parents, Glen and Irene Rimmer, his brothers, Glen, and infant brother, sister Alverna Mortimer, his niece, Raelene Schmaltz and former wife, Jude Anderson, mother of Laurie.
Clark is survived by his children, Laurie Langcastor of Kelowna, Karen(Barry) Keane of Seattle, WA, Tara(Matt) Coles of Cumberland, BC and Chris(Adahn) Rimmer of Grande Prairie, AB; his grandchildren, Zan, Marshal, Jackson, Ciara, Mia, Ethan and Ezra; his sisters, Eilleen Schmaltz of Beiseker and Ruth Shannon of Terrace, BC and brother Russell Scratch of Lethbridge.

There will be a Celebration of Life and a special Art Exhibition for Clark at a later date. Family and friends are kindly invited and will be notified with further details.

Care entrusted to Bear Creek Funeral Home 780 830 7742 bearcreekfuneral.com