Joe Hildebrand

Joseph “Joe” Hildebrand, age 33, was killed in action on Sunday, November 6, 2022 in Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblask, Ukraine. Joseph Nolan Hildebrand was born on June 28, 1989 to Baron & Shelley Hildebrand at the Central Butte Hospital, Central Butte, SK. He grew up the second oldest of four boys on the family farm near Gouldtown, SK and loved everything about being a farm kid — from operating and fixing machinery to working the fields during seeding and harvest. But he especially loved cattle.

Joe took his elementary and high school in Herbert, SK and after graduation in 2007, joined the Canadian Military. Joe served in the 3rd Battalion of the Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) and received his training in Quebec and Alberta. He was a Private from 2007 – 2010 and did tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. It was during his service in Iraq when his father passed away unexpectedly and Joe made the decision to come home and help his mom on the family farm. His dad was his hero and his best friend, so it was a tough blow.

Joe was with the love of his life, Carissa, “his red-head,” for nearly eight years and her daughter, Jovi, quickly became the second love of his life. On February 14, 2020 Joe formally adopted Jovi so that she would know every Valentine's Day that there was a man who loved her. Joe took great delight in being a dad and taught Jovi everything he knew about working on the farm and driving tractor, riding horses and bikes, and just being there for one another. He attended her sporting events and dance recitals and always told her he loved her to the stars and back.

They were a tightknit family and did everything together, Joe and Jovi were always goofing around and laughing. Many happy hours were spent cruising back country roads with the music blaring — Gary Allan, Queen, Brooks and Dunn, Five Finger Death Punch, the Rolling Stones — all of it was sung along to with gusto. Joe and Jovi especially loved to sing “Africa” by Toto together. Music spoke to his soul and he liked a little bit of everything, he especially enjoyed busting out his dance moves and doing his Elvis impression.  

A true country boy — he liked to call himself a hick — Joe played hard and worked hard. His tough exterior was just the coating for a heart of gold and belied what a softy he was. His standard uniform was Wrangler’s or Levi’s with his favorite belt, combat or cowboy boots, an Under Armor shirt, jean jacket, shades, and a hat. But he also loved sitting in his favorite recliner with a blanket and good smelling candle and watching the Punisher, Game of Thrones, or Yellowstone.

Joe loved the outdoors, his favorite spot was in a coulee, and being in nature grounded him — watching sunrises and sunsets, taking in the wonder of the sky, moon, and stars, and spending time at the lake. The wide-open spaces of Saskatchewan were home and aside from being beautiful, were also perfect for his love of blowing things up and going hunting — he had a collection of hunting knives and a wide assortment of riffles. He butchered what he hunted and loved his meat, potatoes and gravy, and BBQ.

He had his Class 1 license and Joe preferred his Peterbilt’s the louder the better, he was a skilled mechanic and there wasn’t anything he couldn’t fix. By his estimation, nothing was better than a Chevy or John Deere. He could also weld and loved creating, designing, and building things.

Joe was a member of the Herbert Stampede Association and looked forward to the August long weekend rodeo every year. He loved to take in all the events during the day and then attend the dance at night, slow dancing and two-stepping with Carissa. His love of the rodeo made complete sense since it combined all the things he loved — being outside, being with family and friends, cattle, music, dancing, and a nice cold drink.

He loved his cows as pets and friends, they were more than just livestock. He loved dogs more than most people, especially his dog, Leia. His favorite animal was the great horned sheep, which also spoke to how stubborn he could be. And competitive. Especially playing board or card games or badminton with his girls. He also liked playing baseball and curling. Whatever Joe played, he played to win.

Family was incredibly important to Joe, he called Carissa his redhead, darling, sweetheart, his reason, and his love. Jovi was his cutie, Jovi bear, mini mom, his reason, and his love. They were his “ginger, green-eyed girls.” He loved hugs and always hugged his girls every single day and said “I love you” every night before going to sleep, after every single phone call, or any time he left — even if it was just for 5 minutes. He loved collecting trinkets, just like his daughter, and ended up loving the color purple and owls — their house is full of them and he loved to surprise Carissa with something owl related. He loved watching Jovi grow up and was always so proud of her. Joe’s favorite number was 44 and Carissa’s is 4, so they enjoyed pointing out anything related to those two numbers to each other. Joe loved his mom, brothers, grandparents, and Carissa’s mom and grandparents. His friends were like family as were the comrades he served with.

Joe loved his country and was proud to be Canadian and a soldier. When the conflict began in the Ukraine, he couldn’t stay at home and not serve where he felt there was great need, so in June of 2022 Joe joined the Foreign Legion — which allowed him to fight as a combatant with the Ukrainian Military and not a mercenary — to help the Ukrainian civilians caught in the crossfires of war. It was this selflessness that cost him his life, as Joe was killed trying to pull a comrade to safety on a patrol where twelve would lose their lives and only three would survive.

A complex man, Joe can be described as an old soul, selfless, someone you could count on, humble, appreciative, kind, protective, a defender, patient, considerate, respectful, determined, ambitious, generous, old fashioned, a hopeless romantic, a man of morals, standards, and faith, had a wicked sense of humor, loved telling stories and fun facts, and loved tattoos. Joe left a mark on so many people’s lives and will be forever missed by all who knew and loved him.

Joe is survived by his partner, Carissa Hildebrand; his daughter, Jovi Hildebrand; his mother, Shelley Hildebrand; his brothers, Jacob (Mel Stimson) Hildebrand, Luke (Mellissa Paxman) Hildebrand, and Mark (Britany) Hildebrand (their children, Emmett, Lily, and Mya); his mother-in-law, Michelle Evans; his brother and sister-in-law, Jordan (Sheyanne) Evans (their children, Braya, Paisley, Kale, and Tinara) and Brieann Evans (her son, Atlas); his adoptive grandparents, Otto & Elsie Zacharias; the comrades he served with; and by many friends.

Joe was predeceased by his father, Baron Hildebrand (2014); and by his maternal and paternal grandparents.  

In accordance with Joe's wishes, no formal funeral or interment services will be held. Carissa and Jovi would like to thank everyone for their outpouring of support during this difficult time and for contributions made to the Go Fund Me to bring Joe home. They will have a private service at a later date.

Joe loved animals and the rodeo so in memory of Joseph Hildebrand and for those wishing, donations made to the Swift Current SPCA and the Herbert Stampede Association would be appreciated by the family.

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