RUDOLF RIGERT

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RUDOLF RIGERT A wonderful life and a peaceful transition; this week we said goodbye to our Dad. A husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather who was incredibly loved. On June 30, 2017 he passed to be with his parents, sister and brother-in-law, just short of his 87th birthday. Dad was born in raised in Valais, Switzerland - one of the most beautiful places on earth. He came from a wonderful family; he loved to share stories of his mischievous youth as an altar-boy, his motorcycle riding years, and the many celebrations in his sister's cellar. After serving in the Swiss Army and with his family's support, he immigrated to Canada to search for new opportunities and adventure - and that he found. Not long after landing in Montreal, he met a beautiful, young Austrian waitress working at a Swiss restaurant and their 56-year love affair began. The early years in Montreal were fun, carefree years as my parents began their life together. My sister and I were both born there but it wasn't long until another new opportunity drew my dad away and we were off to Northern Manitoba where he was an equipment superintendent supporting the Jenpeg dam. While remote, the Jenpeg years were good for our family and Dad and Mom made lifelong friends. From Jenpeg we then went to Great Falls and on to Winnipeg where we settled into the home we still have today. Dad continued to work for a few more years, travelling to the Northwest Territories while Mom focused on raising us girls. He ended his career with Vector Construction - he enjoyed this job and the people he met there very much. After retirement, Dad had some of his best years. He enjoyed golfing, hunting, gardening and wine making. He was proud of his home and yard and he spent hours making everything beautiful. We have many memories of us sitting by the pool with food, wine and laughter. Dad had the best smile and laugh - even in his final days he always had a smile for his nurses. Dad believed in hard work and teaching his girls to be independent and strong - we certainly needed that strength this past week. On June 16 when Dad shared the news of his prognosis, he said one of the things that would make the transition easier was knowing that we had such strong, supporting, loving husbands; he was also immensely proud of his grandchildren. While Dad made the decision to move to Canada, his heart was always in Switzerland. He kept his family and friends close despite the miles. Our family in Switzerland hurts now as we do. In keeping with Dad's wishes, he has been cremated. We will have a celebration of his life on Sunday, July 9 at Coutu Funeral Home, 680 Archibald Street at 2:00 p.m. We will share a few memories before coming together to enjoy a lunch Dad would have appreciated and to toast a beautiful man. Dad will be forever loved by our mom, Friederike, his daughters, Connie (Ken) and Susie (Ken), his grandchildren, Courtney, Camella, Justin, Myles, Alexa (Neil), Madi (Josh) and Jacob, and great-grandchildren, Keegan and Theo. He is also mourned by close family in Switzerland - his brother Pauli and his family, nephew Carlo and niece Linda and their families. Lastly, special friends and people that had an impact on his life - Errol and Shelley, Sam, Bob, Darcy, the Boutang family and the extended Boyachek and Tardi family. A heartfelt thank you to Dr. Pacin for all the years of care and for being with us this week; also a special thank you to Dad's nurses and nurses' aides at Victoria General Hospital who supported him in Emergency when we arrived and then during the four days we spent on the fourth floor - your kindness will not be forgotten. In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made to a charity of your choice.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jul 05, 2017