ALEXANDER COLONELLO 1920-2013

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ALEXANDER COLONELLO 1920-2013 Alex passed away peacefully in his sleep at Golden West Centennial Lodge at the age of 93, after a lengthy struggle with Parkinson's. Alex was predeceased by both his parents and his sister Val Farnsworth, nephews Gordon Bisaro and Raymond Marchiori, and brothers-in-law Al Bisaro and Tony Farnsworth. He is survived by his loving wife Peggy of Winnipeg, of nearly 64 years of marriage; two sisters Victoria Bisaro and Flora (Roy) Marchiori, Trail, BC; three nephews Terry (Connie) Bisaro and family of Oakley, CA, Raymond (Susanne) Bisaro of Ucluelet, BC and family of British Columbia and France, and Norman (Beverly) Bisaro of Port Alberni and family of British Columbia; Margaret O'Brien (Vancouver) and family (British Columbia, London and Berlin), widow of his deceased nephew Gordon Bisaro; four nieces Marie (Joe) Hughes and family of Trail, BC, Beth Parisotto and family of Vancouver, Louise Owens (Murray) of Vancouver, Laura Farnsworth (Givens and son Alex) Montreal, and many cousins in British Columbia and Italy. Alex was born April 4, 1920 in Posso, San Giorgio, Udine in northern Italy, the only son of Luigi and Luigia Colonello. In 1921 his father immigrated to Canada and worked on a farm until he had saved enough money to pay for his own passage and bring his wife and two children to Canada. Alex's mother and his sister Victoria (seven) and Alex (four) arrived in Halifax on the ship "President Wilson" on April 27, 1924. They took a four-day train trip across Canada to Trail, BC, where his father had procured a job in the B.C. Consolidated Mining and Smelting Co. (Cominco). In 1926 Alex's sister Val was born and in 1929 his sister Flora completed the family. Alex soon learned English playing with the neighbourhood children. When he was five his mother wanted his sister Victoria to take him to school with her, but she refused so the neighbourhood children took him. The Teacher thought he was kind of small for six, but the other kids said he was six because they played with him every day so he was admitted (no strict age rules those days). At 16 Alex graduated from Grade XII and took a five-year Machinists Toolmaker course at COMINCO. Shortly after his 21st birthday, Alex and a buddy went to Hamilton looking for work. His buddy stayed in Hamilton and then went to California where he owns a successful business to this day. Alex went to Winnipeg in 1941 and got a job at Standard Machine Works where he was doing important war work and was frozen to his job until the Second World War was over. In 1946 he went to work at Precision Machine Works. In 1949 Bay Bronze Company asked him to start a Machinery Division for them. As time went by he went into Sales and in 1956 became their Sales Manager. He bought control of the company in 1973 becoming President. In 1986 he sold company control to Derlan Industries of Toronto remaining as President until 1992 when he became Chairman of Bay Bronze until retirement in 1996. When Derlan sold the company he formed Colon Industries with partners, a golf related enterprise. In 1998 he purchased the golf accessory line from Bayco Industries with partners to form Bayco Golf Inc. which was eventually sold in 2006 to Ontario Seed of Toronto. He officially retired after a working career of 65 years. Alex was always a generous person from the days at his first job when the fellows lived from pay day to pay day and he would lend them a few dollars to tide them over to next pay day, to years later when he lent money to friends and relatives to buy their first home or condos. Alex never bought anything unless he had the money to pay for it. There was no such thing as credit cards in those days. As he said, he never borrowed money until he borrowed $1 Million to buy the business and of course he paid it all back as fast as he could. He was generous to the charities he donated to and you know who you are. Alex started playing golf in 1941 and joined Elmhurst Golf and Country Club in 1942. Alex married his wife Peggy September 17, 1949 and in 1950 (in spite of the flood) they built their home on Assiniboine Avenue in Woodhaven where they resided for 55 wonderful years. They became ardent golfers and members of Monterey Peninsula Country Club, Pebble Beach, CA where they spent many winter months and made many new friends. In addition to Elmhurst, where he was given a Lifetime Membership in 1979, he was a member of Quarry Oaks, Granite Curling Club, The Manitoba Club and M.P.C.C. Before and after his retirement in 2006 Alex and Peggy travelled and golfed around the world, visiting England, Scotland (yes St. Andrews), Wales, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, New Zealand and Australia. In Hong Kong they were the first Canadians to play a practice round at Chung Shang Golf Course then under construction. They had a brief visit to the village in Italy where Alex was born and met many relatives there. Our thanks go out to the many nurses who took care of Alex, especially Shannon and Leila at Oakview and Alex and Marcia at Golden West. With grateful thanks to our friends Vern and Bea Rands and Shirley Anderson as well as all neighbours in Glendale Court. In lieu of flowers, donations would be appreciated to a charity of your choice or Parkinson Society Manitoba, 7 - 414 Westmount Drive, Winnipeg, MB R2J 1P2 or Golden West Centennial Lodge, 811 School Rd., Winnipeg, MB R2Y 0S8. There will be no formal service. A Celebration of Life will be held on Thursday, June 27, 2013 at 2:30 p.m. at ANIVET, 3584 Portage Avenue (South Side of Portage Avenue, across from Unicity), Winnipeg. Please bring your happy stories. Cremation has taken place and burial will be at a later date in Trail, BC.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jun 22, 2013