ALBERT LEON RECH

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ALBERT LEON RECH Albert passed away suddenly after a long illness. Left to cherish his memory are his wife Jean; sons, Douglas (Morgan) of Halifax, Larry (Brenda); and daughter Janice Gripp (Stan) of Winnipeg; four grandchildren, Dustin and Chantel Smith, Samantha and Sarah Rech; and one stepgrandson Erik Van Wyck of California. He was predeceased by his parents, six brothers and six sisters. Albert was devoted to his family and always placed them first. He will be greatly missed. He was a man of few words and a great listener. He was always there when we needed him; not only to his family but also to his friends. Although he has been very ill for the past two and a half years, he remained a constant source of knowledge and support to his family. His passing leaves a huge void in our lives, but he will remain in our hearts and minds forever. Albert was born in Gimli, MB on his parent's original homestead. Being the youngest of 13 children meant he learned to be a responsible hard worker early in his life. During his teen years he had a job on the fishing boats of Lake Winnipeg. No one could fillet a fish like Dad! As soon as he was able he joined the Navy and served until the end of the Second World War. Returning from war, Albert and his brother headed west and started work on the Alaskan Highway. Their adventures were short lived after an avalanche nearly cost them both their lives. Returning to Winnipeg, Albert started work as a baggage handler with the C.N.R. Soon after he met and married the love of his life, Jean on January 13, 1951. His intelligence and work ethic were quickly recognized and over the years he worked in several different departments moving up the ranks from clerk to supervisor to Manager. He retired after 35 years as the Manager of the CN Express for Western Canada. During his lifetime he built several homes, including a beautiful cabin in Lake of the Woods. Family and friends alike have fond memories of all the years spent at Sandy Lake. After retiring at age 57 he enjoyed 20 years of wintering in Florida in their condo, only quitting when his health began to fail four years ago. A celebration of Albert's life will be held on Monday, April 3 at 11:00 a.m. at Cropo Funeral Chapel, 1442 Main St. Flowers gratefully declined. CROPO FUNERAL CHAPEL 586-8044

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Apr 01, 2006