Joseph Ethan Snell/Shewchuk

With immeasurable sorrow, we announce the passing of our beloved son, Joseph Ethan Snell / Shewchuk, who passed away on February 14, 2026, at the age of 25.

Joseph grew up in Bragg Creek, Alberta, where he spent his formative years immersed in nature, friendship, and family. Whether playing outdoors for hours or blocking pucks for the Bragg Creek Bears hockey team, Joseph lived with quiet determination and loyalty to those around him.

He was a peaceful soul with a heart of gold. Joseph had an effortless ability to make and keep friends, drawing people in with his quick wit, creativity, and fun-loving nature. From a young age, he was deeply reflective, often contemplating life’s biggest questions about God, the universe, and his place within it.

In his early adult years, Joseph began facing profound mental health challenges following experimentation with marijuana at age 16. Though he stopped using the drug, his struggles continued. As parents, we watched helplessly as our son gradually slipped away from the life we once shared. Joseph often resisted help, searching instead for acceptance and meaning while experiencing homelessness in Calgary from 2021 to 2025.

In July 2025, Joseph reached out and asked for our help. He came to live with us in Calgary for six months — a time that became an unexpected and treasured gift. We were blessed to make up for lost time and create new memories together. We shared a birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. Though Joseph rarely felt up to social activities, he would join me at the clinic, run errands, visit local family and friends, walk through Griffith Woods Park in Discovery Ridge, and experience Zoo Lights. During those months, Joseph was just as much a blessing to us as we were to him.

Despite having a caring and devoted team supporting him, Joseph took his own life after a long and courageous battle with his mental health. His passing is a heartbreaking reminder that mental illness is real, powerful, and often invisible. We share this openly in the hope that it encourages compassion, understanding, and honest conversations.

Through every season of his life, Joseph’s kindness defined him. He will be remembered for his gentle spirit, desire to better himself, his sense of responsibility and stewardship toward his community, his faith in God, and the quiet depth of his love.

He is survived by his loving mother, Michelle Shewchuk; his father, James Snell; his stepfather, Rob Shewchuk; his siblings, Jane, Cass, and Ty Shewchuk; and extended family members who cherished him deeply. 

We are eternally grateful for the privilege of loving Joseph, of knowing him, and of sharing life with him. He will be missed beyond measure and remembered always. We may take comfort in the words of Psalm 91.

A celebration of Joseph’s life will be held at Bridgeland Seventh Day Advenist Church (48 12 Street NE) Calgary.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Calgary Dream Centre: 

https://calgarydreamcentre.com/donate/

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