Chad Lewis had worked by Joe Hubbard’s side for 30 years. The two started as co-workers in the late 80s, building a friendship over the course of a decade that eventually led into a business partnership in 1999, when the two purchased Kane Heating and Ventilating from founder Frank Kane.
As friendship turned to partnership, the Hubbard and Lewis families came together, building upon the family business that Kane started nearly 70 years ago.
Joe succumbed to cancer Sunday, Feb. 3, leaving a great hole in the Hubbard family, in the Kane Heating business, and in Chad’s friendship.
“I’m going to miss our friendship the most,” Lewis said this past week. “We liked to cut up a lot, and I’m really going to miss the non-work related conversations.”
Chad said Joe and his wife, Kathy were eyeing retirement in a few short years when Joe’s cancer diagnosis sped up the process. It was always the plan that Chad would take sole ownership, just not this quickly.
Currently Joe and Kathy’s daughter, Jenn works in the office as the service dispatcher, schedules service calls, locates and retrieves repair parts and also does the duct cleaning.
In the past Kane’s has also employed two of Joe and Kathy’s others daughters, Jennifer and Antonia, granddaughter Alexis, who continues to help out when needed and son-in-law, Adam as well as Chad’s daughter, Courtney and sons, John and Chris. Chad’s other daughter, Haylee has worked as a co-op student.
“I want to reassure our customers that it’s business as usual,” Chad said. “We learned a lot together through the years, and we’re going to continue to be a company built on our reputation of service. We’ll always honor that.”
Though Chad said Joe leaves awfully big shoes to fill, he’s confident in his team moving forward.
Joe is survived by his loving wife of 31 years, Kathleen; five daughters, Jennifer Robles (Chris Tossava), Jesica Hubbard, Michelle Henry, Antonia (Joseph) Challender, and Jennifer Lynn (Joey Green) Squier; grandchildren, Cody, Kayla, Mason, Rose, Grace, Katie, Austin, DeVante, Britany, Alexis, Rachel, Athena, Adara, J.D. (Joseph Donald), Chrisitian, Trevor Joe-Jack, Emalynn, and Elijah; six great-grandkids; mother and step-dad, Eileen and Bennie Pittman; step-mother, Sharon Hubbard; siblings, Shannon, Shawn (Michelle), Jerry, Antonette, Jack Wayne, Teresa, Lynda (Mike), Betty, and Julie (Jerry); many specials aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews, and cousins.
Funeral services are Monday, February 11, 2019, at 1 p.m. at Pray Funeral Home in Charlotte.
Kane Heating & Ventilating is located at 504 Island Highway and offers Air Ease equipment, as well as a full custom sheet metal shop, fireplace showroom, a full line of installation services, service and repair parts for the professional and do-it-yourselfers. Kane also provides and experienced and knowledgeable service and installation staff for all service and installation of furnaces, air conditioning, ventilation, wood, gas and pellet stoves and fireplaces, heat pumps, boilers, water heaters, high efficiency air cleaners, humidifiers and duct cleaning. Kane has also added a line of made in the U.S.A. wood stoves from Buck Stove. Kane offers free replacement estimates and provides discounts for senior citizens.
Kane is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon (closed on Saturdays during the summer), Kane also offers 24-hour emergency service.
Stop in or contact Kane Heating and Ventilating at (517) 543-1040, email kaneheating@hotmail.com or visit KaneVentHeat.com.
