EMIL WILLIAM BACKMAN (BILL)

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EMIL WILLIAM BACKMAN (BILL) 1914 2007 Peacefully, in his sleep, our Dad passed away on the evening of November 26. He was born on June 27, 1914 in a small cottage near the Red River on Inkster Avenue in Winnipeg's North End. On New Years Eve, 1923, his father died of a ruptured appendix, leaving his widow, our Gramma Louise Bachmann and five boys. Dad was the oldest and helped to raise and look after his four brothers, Jack, Art, Bill and Charlie, all who predeceased him. Dad leaves his wife of 66 years, Maria; son Bill (Ida); daughter Judith (Murchison) in Toronto; grandchildren, Tony (Melanie), Leigh, in Winnipeg, Damon (Mailene) in Toronto; great-grandchildren, Rick (Linzy), Sheldon in Toronto; and great-great-grandson Dominic. Jack's widow Alice and Bill's widow Inga will be saddened by the news of Dad's passing. Dad was also predeceased by his daughter-in-law Enid and Charlie's widow Ann. Dad attended Luxton School, Machray School and St. John's Tech. As a boy, Dad spent many summers in Woodridge, Manitoba, helping on the farms of his Grandfather Freidrich and Uncle Pete. In 1929, Dad finished his formal schooling, and went to work full time to help support his mother and brothers. Throughout the depression he found work wherever he could, even riding the rails south to earn a dollar a day harvesting. As a young man he became interested in weightlifting, bodybuilding, and fencing. He pursued his passion for fencing well into his sixties and was a co-founder of the Blades Fencing Club. He taught fencing at various venues in Winnipeg, attended many clinics and was instructor and coach of the University of Manitoba Fencing Team. He also attended various European Fencing Championships, often in the company of world class fencers. Another of dad's passions was horses. He was an accomplished rider and spent many happy hours riding at Oakbank and even working as a ranch hand in Montana. A gifted artist , Dad's paintings and drawings adorn the walls of family and friends. As a member of the St. James Art Club, he earned many accolades for his work. Although he would rather have pursued his art, he wanted to get married, and chose the security offered at the newly formed Trans Canada Airlines. He became a gifted sheet metal fabricator and was sent to repair the impossible jobs at a time during the Second World War when speed and dependability were crucial for the war effort. He later became a production planner at TCA and traded his whites for a jacket, shirt and tie. He worked at TCA, now Air Canada, for 34 years and had been retired for about the same length of time. Dad was a true Renaissance man and a romantic and loved the beauty of nature and the outdoors. He was as at home on a ranch as he was patching the belly of an aircraft. He had a great love of the old west and collected many magazines and stories of pioneers and native Americans. His paintings and drawings of fields, streams, mountains, wildlife and particularly horses attest to that love. As successful as he was, he was very modest, and always downplayed his considerable accomplishments. His mind was sharp and his memory of family history and adventures amazing. He taught his children many valuable lessons: the most important was to be true to yourself and your personal values and to stand up for your beliefs. He lived by these values to the end and bore the inconveniences of old age with quiet dignity and class. A man of few words, he was a true original. Dad spent those last years in the wonderful care afforded him at Extendicare, Tuxedo Villa, where he was much loved by all who knew him there. He enjoyed visits from his wife Maria, as she always came packing goodies, the many coffee breaks with Bill, including the odd trek across Corydon to the Sals for ham and eggs, and especially Judy's many visits from Toronto and surprise visits from his grandson Damon who made a point of visiting his beloved Gramps whenever he could get to Winnipeg. In calling up our memories and saying our good byes, we are reminded of a life lived fully and well, and know that nothing gold can stay . In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation. A celebration of Dad's life will take place on Saturday, December 8 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at Rae Jerry's, 1405 Portage Avenue. Arrangements Entrusted to:

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Dec 01, 2007