It is with great sadness that the family of Alfred Tuba announces his passing on Sunday, September 28, 2014 after a brief but courageous battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his family and a lot of love.

Alfred was the second child born to Albert and Yolanda (nee Padar) Tuba on May 12, 1943 in Hnausa, MB. When Alf was four years old, the family moved back to Saskatchewan to the Waldron district. From an early age, Alf had to work on the farm doing chores and tending to the livestock. It was at this time that Alf developed his hard work ethic, something that stayed with him his whole life. This was something he passed on to his children and was trying to teach his grandsons. Nothing good ever came out of being lazy, but from hard work came a good life.

As a young boy, Alf grew to love curling. Many times we heard the story of riding a horse over to the neighbours in the dead of winter at night to get a ride to the local curling rink, Hilltop. It was with great pride and a smile on his face that he told us of winning the Holstein Cup, the top prize, back in 1959 at the age of 16.

On December 29, 1964 Alf married the love of his life, Sheila Ferguson, in Prince George, BC. At the tender ages of 21 and 18, the young married couple returned to Melville to start their life together. This union was blessed with two children, Lynnette in 1971 and Wade in 1974.

Throughout his life, Alf had a variety of jobs - Swift’s Creamery, a grader operator for the RM of Cana, Peter’s Farm Equipment, Abels and Melville Concrete, but in 1983, he turned a hobby into a business when he purchased a small engine repair shop and Alf’s Service Centre was born. For over 30 years, Alf worked tirelessly, alongside Sheila, to make the business a success. If you wanted to find Alf, all you had to do was go to the shop. It was joked about all the time that thank goodness Sheila worked with Alf; otherwise, she would never see him. At the shop is where Alf made his lifelong friendships. Every morning and evening, the shop looked like a coffee shop, not a small engine repair shop. The gang got together to discuss the daily events and solve the world’s problems. Many a laugh, a joke or a good ribbing were shared at these gatherings.

Alf was also a volunteer fireman for many years and served on St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Council as well. A man of few words was Alf, but he was very strong in his faith. June 8, 2014 was a proud day for Alf when his grandson, Blaine, was confirmed in the same faith. Alf was proud of his “four boys” - Kade, Blaine, Ethan and Collin were always able to get a chuckle and a smile out of Papa. He was very proud of all their academic and athletic achievements.

During the few hours when he was not at the shop, Alf could be found tending to his flowers in the yard or woodworking with Sheila. These were his only two hobbies and like with everything else, they were done with pride, done 100% and done with love.

Alf was predeceased by his mother Yolanda (2001); his father Albert (2010); a sister Margaret in infancy (1942); his father-in-law Willard Ferguson (1986) and his mother-in-law Margaret Ferguson (2013). He leaves to mourn his passing his wife of 49½ years, Sheila; daughter Lynnette (Joe) Denesiuk; son Wade (Sheritee); four grandsons, Blaine and Collin Denesiuk and Kade and Ethan Tuba; brother, Dave (Grace) and family; two sisters, Lorna and Donna (Redge) and family; sister-in-law Laura (Ken) Wilson and family; one goddaughter Carla Cochran; his aunts, an uncle and numerous cousins and friends.