Dennis M. Erker
1945 – 2026
Dennis Erker was a husband and father, businessman, community builder, volunteer, and above all, someone who genuinely believed that the more you are given, the more you owe in return. Edmonton gave Dennis a great deal of opportunities over his lifetime, and he spent countless volunteer hours giving back in appreciation for those opportunities.
He was the kind of person who didn’t just show up for ribbon cuttings. He knocked on doors, made phone calls, engaged other community builders, and sat through countless meetings because he believed that if something was worth doing, it was worth seeing through.
— Dennis Erker, on Valour Place
Dennis believed that a community’s strength is measured by how it cares for those who serve it. As Honorary Colonel of the Loyal Edmonton Regiment, he turned that belief into action.
Previously, injured members of the military, Veterans, RCMP, and their families, as well as first responders, travelling to Edmonton for medical care had limited resources for accommodations during treatment. Dennis set out to change that. He led a community-wide campaign that raised $10 million and brought Valour Place to life as Canada’s first facility of its kind in 2012 where guests stay free of charge in the warm, welcoming home that is Valour Place, relieving them of the financial burden that would otherwise occur.
Even after the doors opened, Dennis continued to give of his time, volunteering regularly by planting flowers, tending the garden, engaging the community, and championing the facility and its mission until the very end, including through his personal memoir, Walking, Knocking & Talking Through the Chapters of My Life. Valour Place was never a project to Dennis. It was a calling.
Dennis’ impact on Edmonton stretched far beyond Valour Place. Over decades, he gave his time, energy, and considerable talents to causes across arts, sports, health care, and education with the same spirit of genuine service that defined everything he did.
He served as past president of the Edmonton Eskimos Football Club and the CFL Board of Governors, chaired the 1994 World Wheelchair Basketball Championships, and was part of the bidding committee that brought the 2001 World Championships in Athletics to the city. He was founding Chair of the University of Alberta Sports Wall of Fame, past Chair of the U of A President’s Council, and mentored young Edmontonians through Junior Achievement. He also lent his leadership to the Minerva Foundation, the Edmonton Community Foundation, and Edmonton Northlands among many others. He was an active fundraiser for both the Mazankowski Heart Institute & the Stollery Children’s Hospital.
He gave without expectations but was always rewarded with the satisfaction of the results of his efforts.
1945 – 2026
Dennis passed peacefully in 2026, surrounded by the love of his family. Those who knew Dennis know the many walks of life he touched. It is only through his perseverance and selflessness that Valour Place was brought to life.
We will miss him. Valour Place will continue to be a legacy to his passion and conviction.
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