Gordon "Gordie" Howe

“You find that you have peace of mind when you know that it was 100% effort that you gave, win or lose.” Gordie Howe lived by that quote, giving 100% of his body to hockey, and 100% of his heart to the family, friends, and millions of fans he so cherished. Gordon Howe passed away peacefully in Sylvania, Ohio on Friday, June 10, 2016 at the home of his son Murray, surrounded by family. Gordie was born March 31, 1928 in Floral, Saskatchewan, the son of Albert and Katherine (nee Schultz) Howe. He was the sixth of nine siblings and grew up in nearby Saskatoon. In 1949, Gordie met and fell in love with Colleen Joffa, and they were married on April 15, 1953. At a young age, Gordie’s athletic abilities and physical strength were recognized by nearly everyone, including hockey coaches. For love of the game, he turned pro in 1946 at the age of 18. Gordie Howe, known fondly as Mr. Hockey, enjoyed 32 storied professional seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, Houston Aeros, and Hartford Whalers. He is survived by his children Marty (Mary), Mark (Sharon), Cathleen Purnell (Carlton Matthews), and Murray (Colleen); grandchildren Travis (Kristine), Jaime Greer (Bo Kerr), Azia Saubers (Josh), Nolan (Christine), Jade Schmidt (Ryan), Meaghan Stoinski (Doug), and Gordie, Corey, and Sean Howe; great-grandchildren Brenden Kerr, Ella and Lahna Saubers, Ainsley Howe, and Jackson Schmidt; sisters Viola Watson and Helen Cummine; and countless friends and fans the world over. He is preceded in death by his beloved wife Colleen, his parents, and his siblings Gladys, Vernon, Norman, Edna, Victor, and Joan. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Ansberg-West Funeral Directors, ansberg-west.com, 419-472-7633. Public visitation will be held from 9:00am-9:00PM at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan on Tuesday, June 14th. His life will be celebrated on Wednesday, 11am, at The Cathedral of The Most Blessed Sacrament, 9844 Woodward Ave., Detroit. The celebrant will be Father J.J. Mech. Mr. Hockey had a servant’s heart and looked for ways to do something for everyone he met. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that a donation be made to one of the following charitable organizations: - The Gordie Howe Traumatic Brain Injury Initiative; http://www.ghi4tbi.org or mail a check to ProMedica Foundations; 5217 Monroe St., Suite A-1; Toledo, OH 43623. - The Howe Foundation; 3128 Walton Blvd, #255; Rochester Hills, MI 48309. - The Gordie Howe Fund for Alzheimer’s Research; Saskatoon Community Foundation; 101-308 Fourth Avenue North; Saskatoon, SK Canada, S7K 2L7. The Howe family would like to thank Gordie’s devoted caregivers (John, Lionel, Pedro, Jay) from Right At Home Perrysburg, and the care provided by the staff of Hospice of Northwest Ohio. Gordie leaves behind a legacy of love and kindness as a devoted father, grandfather, brother, and friend. He was a remarkable man who will be dearly missed.

Gordon "Gordie" Howe

March 31, 1928 - June 10, 2016