ALBERT (FRANK) SIGURDSON

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ALBERT (FRANK) SIGURDSON Peacefully, with family at his side, Frank passed away at the Victoria Hospital in Winnipeg on Tuesday, February 2, 2010 at the age of 78 years. Remaining to forever cherish Frank's memory are his wife of 55 years, Helen Sigurdson (nee Masse); children Janine Lowes (Brian) of Sedgefield, England, Norman of Sorrento, BC, Richard (Cheryl) of Winnipeg, Chris (Teresa) of Winnipeg; grandchildren Richard, Laura, Amy, Erika, Charlotte, Anton, Lorraine, Nola, Ava, Henry; brothers Sam, Barney (Dorothy), Marino and sister Helga. In addition, Frank maintained close relations with relatives in Iceland, many of whom he reconnected with during a visit in June 2009. He was predeceased by his parents, Jon and Sigrun; brothers, Lindal, Johann, John, Baldwin, Thor; and sisters Peggy, Gudrun and Finna. Frank was born on March 31, 1931 in Vidir, Manitoba, where he spent his early years on the homestead, which also served as the post office for the district. After his father's untimely death, his mother moved in 1941 with five of her 13 children to Selkirk where Frank finished school. Following an adventure working on the west coast, he entered the teaching profession. He taught for a year on permit before attending Normal School in 1951-1952. Frank took a position with the Dominion City School District where he met and fell in love with another young teacher, Helen Masse. They married in 1954 and moved to Winnipeg two years later. There he taught at David Livingstone (1956-60), Lord Selkirk (1960-66) and Grant Park (1967-69) before his appointment as Vice-Principal at King Edward School in 1969. Frank spent the rest of his professional life as a Principal, first at Pinkham (1971-77) and then at Earl Grey (1977-1986). Meanwhile, he continued his own education at the University of Manitoba, earning his Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Education, and Masters of Arts degrees while working full-time and raising a family. A strong belief of Frank's was that school should be like a nurturing family environment a place for children that is full of kindness, happiness and learning. His compassionate leadership endeared him to students, staff, and parents and earned the respect of his colleagues. Frank spent much of his career in Winnipeg's core area schools, where he worked hard to provide greater opportunities for students and their families through such initiatives as breakfast and nursery programs. He also wanted his students to have opportunities to participate in sports, regardless of their ability to pay. For instance, he introduced skating lessons at Pinkham and arranged for skates and helmets to be donated by a charity. Health issues - in particular, two heart attacks - led to his retirement in 1986. This new phase of his life opened up opportunities for Frank and Helen, including travel and cottage life. For several years after retirement, they spent the coldest winter months in British Columbia. They also travelled regularly to England to visit Janine and family. Summers were spent enjoying their cottage at Glen Bay, just north of Gimli, where they made dear friends. Sadly, travelling was curtailed (except for his Iceland trip in 2009) when in 1999 he was struck with a debilitating illness, myasthenia gravis, from which he suffered for the duration of his life. Frank's life revolved around family. He was the glue that held together his large group of siblings, and he was very much at the centre of his immediate family. Frank was a devoted son, brother, husband, father and grandfather. His later years were especially dedicated to the happiness of his grandchildren. Frank truly took delight in each of his grandchildren, cherishing every moment he spent with them and brimming with pride at their every accomplishment. He will be profoundly missed, and his memory dearly cherished. Prayers will be held on Monday, February 8 at 7:00 p.m. in the Christ the King Roman Catholic Church, 847 St. Mary's Road, Winnipeg, Manitoba. Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday, February 9 at 10:00 a.m. also in the church with Rev. Fr. Renato Pasinato presiding. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Frank's memory to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, 6 Donald St., Winnipeg, Manitoba R3L 0K6 or to a charity of your choice. You are invited to visit the blog set up to celebrate his life at http://franksigurdson.blogspot.com/.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Feb 05, 2010