Mr. John Baird Warneke of Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, formerly of Eckville, Alberta, passed away peacefully with his wife, Jean by his side, at Rocky Mountain House, Alberta on Monday, August 22, 2016 at the age of 96 years. John was born at Crossfield, Alberta, of Scottish and German heritage. He attended the Scotia School while living on the farm, until age nine. The entire family then relocated, along with a large number of horses, to the Baptiste Lake area, just west of Athabasca. He attended the Baptiste Lake School, then after he finished he went to work, working for a number of farmers, as well as lumber camps. His travels took him to a commercial fishing operation for a winter, then three years in Southern Alberta on a sugar beet farm. He joined the Canadian Armed Services in 1941 and also married Esther that year. After basic training, he was sent to England; where he learned to be an operator in the Canadian Corps of Signals. Subsequent to this he went into active duty and was part of the Canadian Forces that landed in France as part of ‘D’ Day which liberated the Netherlands. He returned to Alberta in the fall of 1945 on the first boat second train, to return the troops from Europe, where he joined his wife and three year old son, Lorne, who had been born while he was away. After his discharge from the Army, he worked for Union Caterpillar for awhile then purchased a quarter of land near Leedale moving there in 1946, farming with horses for two years before purchasing his first tractor. His daughter, Diane was born premature and during a major blizzard in February 1948. He farmed there until 1972, enlarging the farm to three quarters and developing a herd of beef cattle that was the envy of many around. After twenty-five years he then sold his land to what is now the Leedale Hutterite Colony, lived in Rimbey for a year, then bought a second farm on Highway 11 near Eckville, where he remained until 2008. During this time his first wife deceased. Two years later he married his second wife Jean. He moved to Rocky Mountain House with Jean in 2008. His first love was farming but he was also a good gardener. He became known for the giant sunflowers and rows of sweet peas he grew. He also loved birds and other wildlife and became ‘the bluebird house man’ in his later years. He made houses for bluebirds and gave them away for the asking. He also loved country dancing and it was at a dance where he met Jean. John was predeceased by his first wife, Esther (nee Sundbye), his daughter, Diane, his brothers and sisters, Caroline, William, Louise, Jean, Mary and a brother, Gordon who is also presumably deceased. He is survived by his second wife, Jean (previously married as Bertagnolli, then nee Addy), his son, Lorne, his step children, Becky, Joe, Clark, Karen and Mark and their respective spouses, Dale, Carol, Colleen, Dave and Ann-Marie, his step grandchildren, Jacqueline, Kendal, Craig, Megan, Justin, Trevor, Jordan, Nicole, Jonathan, Sarah, Sean, Donald, Katherine, Kenneth and plus two step grandchildren, Zoey and Miles. A Funeral Service for John will be held at the Memorial Presbyterian Church, 5108 - 50 Street, Rocky Mountain House, Alberta on Friday, August 26, 2016 at 2:00 P.M. In lieu of flowers, and if you wish, then please make donations to the Alberta Cancer or Alberta Heart Foundation. Condolences may be sent or viewed at www.parklandfuneralhome.com. Arrangements in care of Parkland Funeral Home and Crematorium, 5014 – 50 Street, Eckville, Alberta. 403.746.2024 or 1.800.481.7421.