September 24, 1947 - February 25, 2021
Thomas (Tom) Martin Liebe passed away on the morning of February 25th, 2021. He died peacefully at home surrounded by those he loved and those that loved him.
Tom was born in Stetten, Germany, on September 24th, 1947, to Josef and Elisabeth Liebe. The family immigrated to Canada in 1956 and settled in southern Alberta. A few years later they moved to a small farm in Greendale. Tom met his wife, Heidi, at an early age as they were neighbours and they were married in 1968.
Tom attended BCIT to become a journeyman carpenter. He worked on such projects as highrises in downtown Vancouver, the Eaton Centre, the Dry Gulch bridge on the Coquihalla Highway, Chilliwack Hospital, the Harrison Hotel and many other projects throughout B.C. His strong work ethic and pride in his work made him a respected carpenter on all the job sites he worked on.
Tom and Heidi moved back to Chilliwack in 1976 to raise their family. Tom was involved in his community as a leader in the Beavers program as well as being involved in his church. He was always willing to lend a hand to those who needed his help.
His first love was his family and spending time with them. In later years he found immense joy in spending time with his four granddaughters. He also enjoyed hiking and fishing and loved to spend time in nature. When not outside he was an avid reader of Canadian history, particularly about B.C. and the Yukon.
His favourite hobby was woodworking and he spent countless hours in his workshop building models, furniture and other crafts. He also loved spending time with his wife taking their quad out to the Gill Road gravel bar looking for agates. Tom and Heidi also had the opportunity to travel throughout Canada and abroad.
He was predeceased by his parents and his older brother Joe. He is survived by his wife Heidi, his two sons Tom (Laura) and Ryan (Michelle) and his four granddaughters Jenna, Jessica, Kyla and Kate, his brother Mike and numerous brothers and sisters-in-law as well as nieces and nephews.
Tom was a gentle man that never wanted the attention to be on himself. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him but he leaves a legacy of love and kindness. His favourite Bible passage was from 1 Corinthians 13:13:
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.