Deacon Stan Kroetsch passed away on May 26, 2026, at the age of 80. Born on August 20, 1945, in Killam, Alberta, Stan married the love of his life, Darlean, on February 5, 1966.
Stan Kroetsch was ordained to the Permanent Diaconate on July 4, 2008, by Archbishop Richard Smith. He served many roles throughout his ministry, including as Archdiocesan Liaison for Catholic Renewal Services. He ministered at Our Lady of the Angels Parish and its mission communities for 14 years before moving to Thorhild, where he continued his ministry on loan to the Diocese of St. Paul. He formally retired from active ministry in March 2023, he remained a devoted witness to the work of the Holy Spirit in his life and in the life of the Church.
He is survived by Darlean, his beloved wife of 60 years; his children, Maureen Painchaud (Alain) and Joe Kroetsch (Hazel); ten grandchildren; twelve great-grandchildren; and many extended family members and friends. He was predeceased by his son, Warren Daniel, in 1967.
In this reflection, Maureen Painchaud reflects on Deacon Stan as a father, husband and man of faith:
Stan moved around a lot. He was transferred with his job promotions. His siblings joked about how they made sure to write his address in pencil in their address books.
Because Stan had such a strong “YES” to our Lord, He was able to use him in very ordinary ways to do extraordinary things. God moved Stan and his wife to where He could use them because they were willing to be used.
Stan would joke that one of his better qualities was his “respond-ability (response able)” and that Darlean, his wife of 60 was truly his partner and biggest supporter. As a Bible school grads themselves, they were sent in February 1990 to start up a school of evangelization in Davao, Philippines.
Some of the schools first students were bishops, priests and religious sisters. Some may have been intimidated but Stan thought that that was the way it should be and was excited about getting to work.
Stan was a Son of the King first, and in ministry always, long before he was ever ordained a deacon. He was comfortable with those in elite positions and those who were impoverished alike, but he had an affinity for people that society had forgotten and the Lord sent Stan many to help.
Stan was always picking up “strays” whether it was one of the many hitchhikers he would pick up on his way to visit customers or the family he met at the hospital and brought home to stay with us after an accident because they had nowhere to go.
Our family Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving dinners – and regular days too – were often attended by Stan’s special friends he recently met and invited. He spoke at Hope Mission, reading from Scripture and preaching the Gospel message he was so passionate about, helping people relate it and apply it to their lives.
He often said, “We don’t know when we give our ‘yes’, how God will use us. Sometimes we plant seeds of faith and hope, sometimes we nurture them and sometimes we see the harvest.” He was OK with that; not seeing the fruits.
Stan was successful in his jobs as salesman and service manager in the oilpatch-related industry. He built a relationship with his customers, found where they had a need and helped them fill it, according to him. Stan would be on the road often by 3 a.m. when he was headed out of town to meet with shop managers knowing he had a four- or five-hour drive to get there, but he came home every night.
His life was always full. He would often say, “If you aren’t living on the edge, you are taking up too much space”. Stan chose sales because, with hard work, it gave him the flexibility to be present to his family in the ways that were important to them. He never missed his kids’ basketball games and coached most of his son’s hockey teams. He enjoyed sports. He played broomball in his 20s and later joined an oldtimer hockey league. Games began at 10 p.m. (so it didn’t take him away from his family time he’d say)
He would also coach hockey, and referee with his son Joe. He never missed a game on TV either. In the summer, soccer replaced hockey for many years. In 1988, Stan gave up sports to focus more on ministry. Stan gave the things that took his time, 100 per cent effort. He would say, “What you lack in skill you need to make up for in effort and that will give you the skill you need”.
Stan sat on school councils and parish councils and worked hard to bring the two together. He organized family fun nights in the schools, hosting father-daughter and mother-son floor hockey tournaments and family picnics. He fostered relationships by bringing people together through play. He was responsible for bringing the parish together to sponsor two refugee families to Canada and organized meeting their most basic needs.
He was the director of the Radway Bible School for about six years. His staff and students became his family. Stan was ordained a permanent deacon for the Archdiocese of Edmonton on July 4, 2008. He was very proud of the fact that his first official duty as deacon was to baptize his granddaughter four days later.
As a deacon, he began appealing to parishes for Chalice. As with many things he got involved with, those around him were drawn in with him because of his passion and enthusiasm. His grandchildren raised money for freshwater wells and playgrounds in third-world countries through Chalice, by selling hot chocolate and cookies at garage sales and making crucifixes and rosaries to sell, and – as they got older – they sponsored several children through Chalice (the Catholic international child sponsorship charity). Chalice staff also became his extended family.
Stan was a leader. Everywhere he went, he motivated others. Stan would say, “God doesn’t distinguish the difference between a prayer of petition and a volunteer”, meaning if you saw a need and were praying for a solution you may be the one meant to fill that need and He would teach others to stand up and lead. Stan taught public speaking and leadership courses and led Life in the Spirit Seminars.
Stan brought people together. As a manager, he ran golf tournaments and barbecues for his company, cooking steaks, baked potatoes and making salad for up to 200 people at a time (it was building relationships). Grandchildren spent many Sunday afternoons wrapping the potatoes in tinfoil.
Stan was first diagnosed with myasthenia gravis the same year he was ordained and went through many hospital stays and drug trials before it was controlled. During that time, he was perseverant and grew spiritually stronger.
Many months went by that Stan had double vision and couldn’t swallow or speak. He thought the not being able to speak would kill him. Stan was newly ordained and not able to share the Gospel message. God was faithful and gave him an even stronger testimony. Whenever Stan went through struggles and challenges, and people would ask him how he was doing, he would chuckle and tell them he was just gathering more material for his testimony.
Stan was quick to share how the Holy Spirit moved and was still moving in his life. As faithful Catholics, when someone shares a struggle or hurt with us, we often respond, “I will pray for you”. Stan would say that too and he stormed heaven for others expecting results. More often than not, though, he would place his hand on a shoulder in a coffee shop, or public place (it didn’t matter to him) and pray with people right then. He would say, “We have a big God so we can ask big things”.
Stan loved to bake, I think partly because food brought people together. His grandchildren grew up baking alongside him. His cookies and gingerbread house decorating were legendary. He would very “unbiasedly” hand out prizes (whether in family, parish or school setting). The prizes were awarded for different categories like best design or using the largest amount of the colour blue. Everyone got a prize. Gift giving was, definitely, one of his love languages.
Funeral prayers for Deacon Stan will be held Friday June 19 at 7 p.m. at Our Lady of the Angels parish, Fort Saskatchewan (viewing 6:30pm). Funeral Mass will be celebrated Saturday June 20 at 2 p.m.(viewing 1:30 p.m.). Read Deacon Stan’s obituary.
