January 1, 1931 - October 18, 2019
Albert "Al" Stober passed away peacefully at the Central Okanagan Hospice on October 18th, 2019.
Born on January 1st, 1931 in a farmhouse in Franklin Manitoba to the late Olga and Emil Stober, Al lived on the homestead for most of his life taking over the farm after his Father's passing when he was just 14 years old after his Mother, Olga, instilled exceptional confidence in her young son.
Al was wonderfully devoted to his wife Sandra and their 4 children Linda and Darrell Johnson (Shane,
David), Mark and Bernice Stober (Andrew, Michael, Brittani, Landon, Cole, Harrison), Ken & Linda
Stober (Dallas, Liberty) and Carolyn Stober and Matt Hauge (Capri, Cassidy, Chrisen).
He was a loving "Papa" to his thirteen Grandchildren, an Uncle to numerous nieces and nephews and a
dear friend and mentor to so many. He was predeceased by his sister Frieda Stober, Sister Ella Goltz
(Romanus), Brother Paul Stober (Carrie), Sister Gertrude Otto (Ewald), Nephew Harry Otto, Niece Janet Otto and his Sister Mary Wieser (Otto).
A man of very strong faith, Al was a true giant and pillar of our community.
He was a visionary who faced down the odds and won. Having been recognized as Business Leader of
the Year in 1999 for his worthwhile causes such as the Tree of Hope charity and the Return of the
Peregrine Falcon project, his unsurmountable dedication and volunteer hours in the community of
Kelowna are legendary.
Retirement was not an option in Al's mind, working right up until his passing, Al Stober was the CEO for
the Stober Group for the past 62 years. He just may have been the oldest noteworthy CEO in North
America.
Al was a sports enthusiast who loved to golf, waterski, alpine ski, and play tennis and volleyball. He
taught many kids over the years to play volleyball at Green Bay Bible Camp.
He was a devoted Evangelist who spent countless hours volunteering through various projects all over the world including both the build of the original Trinity Baptist Church on Springfield as well as the build of a hospital in the grasslands of Cameroon, West Africa in 1986. With his wife Sandra and his daughter
Linda's family by his side, they worked alongside a crew of 40 locals to construct the much needed centre.
This was an achievement Al held very close to his heart.
He led by example. There was never a job too large or too small that he would not tackle. The phrase
"this can't be done" had never been a part of Al's vocabulary.
His greatest life achievement however was his children and grandchildren. In his words "Each one of my children have become great parents and are focused on family. They are people of character and place high importance on giving back to others. What more could a Father ask for? I'm blessed."
Special thanks to the wonderful doctors, especially Dr. Rachel Carver and nursing staff at the Central
Okanagan Hospice Association and to our special helpers at home, April, Vanessa and Marco who
provided invaluable care to Al over the past several months.
A Celebration of Life service will be held on Thursday, October 24th, 2019 at 1 pm at Trinity Baptist
Church, 1905 Springfield Road, Kelowna. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Child
Advocacy Centre Kelowna in Al's name at www.cackelowna.com. Condolences may be sent to the
family by visiting www.springfieldfuneralhome.com.