WALTER EDWARD GORZITZA OF VULCAN PASSED AWAY DECEMBER 13, 2000 AT VULCAN COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTRE AT THE AGE OF 73 YEARS.
WALTER WAS BORN DECEMBER 21, 1926 AT COALHURST, ALBERTA TO EMIL AND ELSIE GORZITZA. HE WAS RAISED ON THE FAMILY FARM TWO MILES NORTH WEST OF KIPP. WALTER ATTENDED SCHOOL AT FORT KIPP, ROLLING HILLS AND NOBLEFORD SCHOOL.WALTER MET LAURA RIEHL IN 1936 AND THEY ATTENDED SCHOOL TOGETHER. WALTER HELPED OUT BY DRIVING TRUCK AND DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR HE DELIVERED GERMAN PRISONERS TO FARMS IN THE AREA TO WORK THE SUGAR BEETS. HE ALSO WORKED IN LETHBRIDGE FOR A SHORT TIME. IN 1947 HE TRAVELLED TO SUMMERLAND B.C. AND WORKED IN THE FRUIT ORCHARDS AND IN THE FALL HE WORKED IN A LOGGING CAMP AT ENDERBY B.C.. HE BEGAN WORKING FOR CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY APRIL 1, 1948 AS A SECTION MAN. IN SEPTEMBER OF THE SAME YEAR HE MARRIED LAURA RIEHL. WHILE WORKING FOR C.P. RAIL WALTER HELD THE POSITION OF SECTION FOREMAN AND WAS PROMOTED TO ASSISTANT ROADMASTER FOR A SHORT TERM. WALTER’S JOB MEANT MANY MOVES, SOME BY BOX CAR USUALLY IN THE COLDEST PART OF WINTER, TO C.P.R. SECTION HOUSES AND RAILROAD STATIONS AT WILSON SIDING, CAYLEY, PAKOWKI, COWLEY, MILO AND VULCAN. THIS MEANT LIVING AT TIMES WITHOUT ELECTRICITY, HEATING WITH WOOD AND COAL STOVES, USING COAL OIL, GAS LAMPS, NO RUNNING WATER OR FRIDGE UNTIL THE EARLY 1960’S. WALTER WALKED MANY A MILE ON THE TRACK, TRAVELLED BY SPEEDER, SOME WINTERS WERE VERY HARSH WHICH CREATED FROZEN LUNCHES, HANDS, FEET AND FACE, UNTIL THE LATER YEARS WHEN TRUCKS BECAME PART OF THE EQUIPMENT USED. WALTER RETIRED AFTER THIRTY-SEVEN AND A HALF YEARS OF SERVICE WITH THE C P RAIL ON NOVEMBER 30, 1985.
WALTER LOVED HIS FAMILY, FRIENDS AND CHILDREN, HE LIVED LIFE TO THE FULLEST. IN HIS YOUNGER YEARS HE WAS INVOLVED IN HOCKEY, BASEBALL AND BOXING. HE WAS AN AVID OUT DOORS MAN. HE LIVED FOR HUNTING, FISHING, FISHING AND HUNTING. WALTER NEVER MISSED A HUNTING SEASON SINCE THE AGE OF 16 AND SPENT TWO MONTHS IN THE BUSH SINCE HIS RETIREMENT EACH FALL. HE ALSO ENJOYED CAMPING AND CAMPFIRES, TRAVELLING BY MOTOR HOME, MUSIC, SINGING AND DANCING. HE PLAYED SEVERAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. HE WAS WELL KNOWN FOR HIS SIX PADDLE HARMONICA, GUITAR AND ACCORDION. HE PLAYED WITH MANY GROUPS, ENTERTAINING RESIDENTS AT PETER DAWSON, EXTENDICARE, HOSPITAL LONG-TERM CARE AND THE VULCAN LEGION. HE ENJOYED MANY BLUEGRASS, COUNTRY WESTERN AND OLD TIME JAMBOREES AND SINCE RETIREMENT HE LOOKED FORWARD TO COFFEE EACH MORNING AT THE LEGION WITH HIS FRIENDS.
WALTER WAS ACTIVE IN HIS COMMUNITY AND WAS A MEMBER OF MILO LIONS CLUB, ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION BRANCH 21, VULCAN AND VULCAN FISH AND GAME ASSOCIATION, WHERE HE SERVED AS PRESIDENT FOR MANY YEARS, AND SPENT MANY HOURS SELLING MEMBERSHIPS TO KEEP THE CLUB ACTIVE. HE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN PROMOTING AND CARING FOR THE LOCAL FISH POND FOR CHILDREN, SENIORS AND CLUB MEMBERS. HE WILL BE GREATLY MISSED BY ALL WHO KNEW HIM.
BELOVED HUSBAND OF LAURA GORZITZA OF VULCAN, LOVING FATHER OF TWO DAUGHTERS SHARON (DARRELL) McINTOSH OF CALGARY, ELAINE GORZITZA OF BOW ISLAND, TWO SONS ALAN (YVONNE), KEN, A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW CAROL GORZITZA ALL OF VULCAN, SIX GRANDCHILDREN JENNIFER McINTOSH, MICHAEL McINTOSH BOTH OF CALGARY, STEVEN GORZITZA, CHAD GORZITZA BOTH OF VULCAN, DAVID GORZITZA OF EDGEWATER, B.C., CAYLEE GORZITZA OF FAIRMONT, B.C., TWO BROTHERS RONALD (BARBARA) OF VULCAN, GEORGE (ANNE)OF LETHBRIDGE, TWO SISTERS JOHANNA SCHAWALDER OF LETHBRIDGE, LILY DOBRZANSKI OF FERNIE, TWO SISTERS-IN-LAW LILY GORZITZA , VERA GORZITZA BOTH OF LETHBRIDGE, NUMEROUS NIECES AND NEPHEWS.
WALTER WAS PREDECEASED BY A SON DARRELL IN 1990, THREE BROTHERS ADOLPH “BOOTS”, WILLIAM, ALFRED AND HIS PARENTS.
MEMORIAL SERVICE WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 20, 2000 AT 1:30 P.M. AT THE CULTURAL RECREATION CENTRE, VULCAN WITH PASTOR MICHAEL COLBECK OFFICIATING.
IN LIEU OF FLOWERS TRIBUTES IN WALTERS MEMORY COULD BE MADE TO EITHER THE ALBERTA CANCER FOUNDATION 1331 – 29 ST. N.W. CALGARY, T2N 4N2, THE PALLIATIVE CARE UNIT OF THE VULCAN COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTRE BOX 299, VULCAN, TOL 2BO OR TO S.T.A.R.S. 1441 AVIATION PARK N.E. BOX 570 CALGARY, T2E 8M7.
ARRANGEMENTS IN CARE OF VULCAN FUNERAL HOME. DIRECTORS. TELEPHONE 1-403-485-2633.E-MAIL CONDOLENCES TO vulcanfuneralhome@hotmail.com.