Obituary of Edward Stanley Schiestel

With his loving family by his side, Ed passed peacefully on October 14, 2019 at the Chatham-Kent Hospice. Beloved husband of Betty Schiestel (nee Vanveller) for 50 years. Dearly loved by his daughters Melissa Schiestel of Toronto, and Krista Dunlap and her husband Jason of Santa Monica, CA. Dear father-in-law of the late Dion VandenBoogaard.

Ed was brother to John (Cherry) Schiestel and Ron (Star) Schiestel of Sarnia, and Paulette Schiestel of London. Brother-in-law of Joe and Henny Kloostra of Chatham;  Alex and Helen Vanveller of Kooteney Bay, BC; Georgina Cross; Steve and Anne Vanveller; Corey and Ann Vanveller, all of Sarnia; and Jack and Alice Stelpstra of Dorchester. He was a wonderful and much-loved uncle to several nieces and nephews. He will be missed by his life-long friends. Predeceased by his parents, Norbert and Aafke (nee VanReenen); his brother-in-law David Cross, and sister-in-law Trudy Schiestel.

Ed was born May 2, 1947 in Provost, Alberta. He graduated from St. Clair College in Windsor in 1969. On October 4 of that year, he married  Betty in Sarnia, Ontario. Ed worked as an Insurance Broker for over 45 years, and owned and operated Ed Schiestel Insurance. He enjoyed his work, and retired in 2015. He was an active member of Grace Christian Reformed Church, and he was the Chair of the Board of Trustees there for many years. He was a founding member of the Rotary Club of Chatham Sunrise.  Ed also sat on the boards for South Chatham Village, and he was the past President of the Heritage Credit Union, Chatham-Kent Insurance Brokers Association, and of the former Dutch-Canadian Credit Union.

He will be remembered for his impeccable lawn maintenance; subpar golf skills; and his dry sense of humour that insured those around him were smiling and laughing.

Friends and family are invited to visit at McKinlay Funeral Home, 459 St Clair Street, Chatham on Friday, October 18th, 2019 from 2 - 4 pm and 7 - 9 pm. A private interment will take place at Maple Leaf Cemetery, Chatham. A Memorial Service will be held at Grace Christian Reformed Church, 255 Tweedsmuir Avenue West, Chatham, on Saturday, October 19th, 2019 at 11 am.

Online condolences may be left at www.mckinlayfuneralhome.com.

The family wishes to thank the dedicated staff at the Chatham-Kent Hospice for their loving care and compassion. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Chatham-Kent Hospice Foundation or World Renew - Canada.

Livestream Link:  To access the Memorial Service live stream, please go to www.chathamgrace.com and click on the MEDIA tab and then select Live Stream.  The live stream will start 5 minutes before the service.