WILFRED NAPOLEON PETER ALBI

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DR. WILFRED NAPOLEON PETER ALBI Dr. Wilfred Napoleon Peter Albi, a beloved and respected family physician, passed away peacefully on February 6, 2016 at the age of 90. He lived a long and meaningful life, devoted to family, faith, community, and his profession. Wilfred was born in Winnipeg in 1925, the eldest of four children to Frank and Gilda (née Amantea) Albi, immigrants from the town of Grimaldi in southern Italy. He attended Mulvey and Gordon Bell schools and studied pre-med at United College, now the University of Winnipeg. He was a proud member of the first graduating class in medicine at the University of Ottawa in 1951. He returned home to complete his residency at St. Boniface Hospital and joined the recently founded St. Boniface Clinic. Medicine was not a job for Wilfred but a calling. As the first son of Italian immigrants to become a family physician in Winnipeg, he built a large practice serving the city's Italian population. Helping him was his younger brother Frank, who also practiced at St. Boniface Clinic for many years. Wilfred delivered hundreds of babies and made countless house calls, frequently bringing home jugs of homemade wine or pans of Italian baking from appreciative patients. After almost fifty years of dedicated service to his patients, he retired in 1999. In 2007 Doctors Manitoba honoured him for his long and distinguished career by awarding him an Honourary Membership in the Canadian Medical Association. Wilfred was a devout Roman Catholic. He was a life-long parishioner of Holy Rosary Church, which his father helped to establish in the early 1920s. His faith informed his compassionate and ethical approach to medicine. For decades, he served on the executive board of the Catholic Physicians Guild of Manitoba. Thanks to his energy and commitment, it became one of the most active organizations of Catholic doctors in North America. Most important of all to Wilfred was his family. He was married for over sixty years to Marjorie (née Manson) whose love and understanding never failed him. She predeceased him in March 2015. He also lost in recent years his sister Rose; brother Raymond; and stepmother Rosaria. He was a loving and generous father to Andrea, Christopher and son-in-law Brent Hurtig, and an indulgent Poppa to grandsons, Max and Liam. Besides his children and grandchildren, he leaves to mourn his brother Frank of Calgary; his sisters-in-law, Zoe Albi and Shirley Phizacklea of Winnipeg; his brother-in-law Russell Manson and wife Bernice of Victoria; his aunt Florence Albi of Winnipeg; and many nephews, nieces, cousins and godchildren. A kind, humble and charitable man, he will be remembered with great affection by all who knew him. Riposi in pace. The family would like to thank the staff at the West Park Manor, especially volunteer companion Gwen Hagyard and palliative care specialist Dr. Bruce Martin. A Mass of Christian burial will be held on Saturday, February 27 at 11:00 a.m. at Holy Rosary Church, 510 River Avenue, with Fr. Sam Argenziano officiating.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Feb 20, 2016