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KERKOVIUS, Hans Joachim April 21, 1926 - Riga, Latvia December 18, 2019 - Calgary, Alberta   It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Hans Joachim Kerkovius of Calgary, AB, on Wednesday, December 18, 2019 at the age of 93 years. His beloved wife of sixty-two years, Elfriede Kerkovius (nee Kerth) was at his side when he passed. Hans was the third child of Goswin Heinrich Kerkovius and Helene Luise Kerkovius (nee Ehmke-Holm), of Saadsen in Latvia. In 1939, his family was forced to flee their home in Latvia to Chieming in Upper Bavaria. In 1949, Hans immigrated to Canada as a farm worker. He spent two years as a farm labourer in Onoway and Glen Park, AB, and then moved to Edmonton. In 1957, he attended a costume ball in Edmonton, where he met the love of his life, Elfriede Kerth. Hans and Elfriede married in 1957 and were inseparable for the next sixty-two years. The war had interrupted Hans's opportunity to finish his schooling. As he raised his family, he managed to upgrade his education to gain acceptance into the University of Calgary as a mature student, where he then earned an undergraduate degree with a major in Geography, and was among the first graduates of the new Faculty of Environment Design, earning a Masters Degree in Environmental Design in 1976. Hans and Elfriede managed to (semi) retire in 1982. The first six years of their retirement was spent in a home Hans built on two acres of land in Westbank (now West Kelowna), BC, and the remainder was spent in another home that Hans built in Edgemont, Calgary. Hans and Elfriede were avid gardeners, and maintained beautiful gardens around all of their homes. Hans also enjoyed long road trips throughout North America, wood-working, model building, water colour painting and writing. Besides his loving wife Elfriede, Hans is survived by his sons Lex Kerkovius (Lillian) and Andre Kerkovius (Coleen McKeon) both of Calgary, AB; and his grandchildren, Sepp and Madeline. Hans is also survived by his brother, Ralf Kerkovius of Frankfurt, Germany. Hans was predeceased by his parents and his sister, Marlene (Maedy) Mantel of Edmonton, AB.