RODOLFO (RUDY) LEVER PASSED AWAY AT THE FOOTHILLS HOSPITAL, CALGARY, ALBERTA APRIL 11, 1997 AT THE AGE OF 76 YEARS.
RUDY WAS BORN AT VIGO CAVEDINE, ITALY, NOVEMBER 24, I920. HE GREW UP IN A LARGE FAMILY OF FOUR BROTHERS AND TWO SISTERS. HE BEGAN WORKING EARLY IN LIFE. RUDY LOVED TO PLAY BACCI BALL, RAID ORCHARDS AND DRINK WINE.
HE WAS DRAFTED INTO THE ITALIAN ARMY DURING WORLD WAR TWO AND SERVED AS AN “ALPINE SOLDIER” IN MONTENEGRO, YUGOSLAVIA AND FRANCE. FOLLOWING THE WAR IN I946 RUDY AND MARIA ZAMBALDI WERE MARRIED AND BEGAN THEIR YOUNG FAMILY. ITALY WAS A VERY POOR COUNTRY AFTER THE WAR, SO RUDY AND A NUMBER OF HIS BUDDIES FROM THE SMALL NORTHERN TOWN OF VIGO MADE A DECISION TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AN OFFER FROM THE
CANADIAN GOVERNMENT. IN 1952, RUDY CAME TO CANADA AND BEGAN A JOB WORKING ON THE RAILROAD.
THE FOLLOWING YEAR, MARIA, EDA AND SERGIO LANDED IN HALIFAX AND TOOK THE TRAIN ACROSS CANADA TO CALGARY TO JOIN RUDY. THE FAMILY SETTLED OUTSIDE OF CHAMPION, AT THE FONTANA COAL MINES AND RUDY SPENT THE NEXT TEN YEARS AS A COAL MINER. TWO MORE DAUGHTERS FIORELLA AND NIVES WERE BORN. THE COAL MINES CLOSED DOWN AND RUDY MOVED HIS FAMILY TO VULCAN AND RETURNED TO WORK FOR THE RAILROAD FOR A SHORT TIME.
IN 1962 RUDY TOOK A JOB WITH THE TOWN OF VULCAN WHERE HE WORKED FOR THREE YEARS THEN IN 1966 HE BEGAN WORKING FOR THE VULCAN HOSPITAL, AND STUDYING AT S.A.I.T. TO BECOME A STEAM ENGINEER. RUDY LOVED HIS JOB AT THE VULCAN HOSPITAL AND TOOK PRIDE IN HIS WORK. HE RETIRED FROM THE HOSPITAL IN 1985 AND HAS CONTINUED TO RESIDE IN VULCAN WITH HIS WIFE MARIA SINCE.
RUDY’S LIFE WAS FORMED, DEFINED AND DRIVEN BY HIS CONCEPT OF FAMILY. IT WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF HIS LIFE. HIS DECISION TO LEAVE ITALY WAS HIS DESIRE TO PROVIDE HIS FAMILY WITH MORE OPPORTUNITY NOT ONLY FOR ABUNDANCE BUT FOR EDUCATION. HIS FAMILY CAME FIRST IN EVERYTHING. IN HIS DAILY PRAYERS AND THOUGHTS – THE FOUNDATION TO HIS BELIEFS – WAS HIS CHURCH, HE SELDOM MISSED A SUNDAY MASS AND HIS WIFE MARIA BROUGHT HIM GREAT STRENGTH AND COMFORT. HIS CHILDREN WERE NEVER TURNED AWAY IN TIME OF CRISIS, HIS CREED WAS “I MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU DO, BUT I’LL ALWAYS LOVE YOU.”
RUDY LIVED FOR FAMILY OCCASIONS, CHRISTMAS, EASTER AND BIRTHDAYS WERE HIS FAVOURITE TIMES. IT WAS THE FEW TIMES EACH YEAR WHEN HE WOULD LOOK FORWARD TO HIS FAMILY COMING TOGETHER TO SHARE BOTH THE CRISIS AND THE JOYS OF THEIR RESPECTIVE LIVES.
RUDY WAS A CONSUMMATE GARDENER AND LOVED WORKING WITH HIS HANDS AND THE SOIL. EACH YEAR AS RUDY HARVESTED HIS GARDEN HE ALSO HARVESTED THE GRAPES AND MADE WINE. HE LOVED TRYING DIFFERENT GRAPES, APPLES AND CHERRIES TO MAKE MANY DIFFERENT VARIETIES.
HIS FAVOURITE HOBBY WAS FISHING AND ALL HIS KIDS REMEMBER THE 4:00 A.M. WAKE-UP CALLS TO GO TO THE NEAREST FISHING HOLE FOR THE DAY. HE EVEN GOT HIS GRANDSON JASON INVOLVED AND THEY WON A FISHING TOURNAMENT TOGETHER.
RUDY AND MARIA CELEBRATED THEIR FIFTIETH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY LAST MAY, BY RENEWING THEIR VOWS AND CELEBRATING WITH THEIR IMMEDIATE FAMILY.
HIS CONCEPT OF FAMILY SPREAD INTO THE COMMUNITY SPENDING MANY YEARS AS A VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER AND OFTEN HE WOULD DO MANY ANONYMOUS DEEDS, LIKE THE TIME HE BOUGHT A SMALL HOUSE FOR A HOMELESS PERSON IN VULCAN.
THE LEGACY THAT RUDY LEAVES IS LOVE OF LIFE, TO BE HONEST AND NOT TO CHEAT, LOVE THY NEIGHBOURS, BE HAPPY, TAKE TIME AND ENJOY LIFE, LIVE FOR TODAY AND NOT THE FUTURE. FRIENDS ARE IMPORTANT IN LIFE, SO BE GOOD TO THEM, BE GENEROUS TO THE ONES WHO HAVE LESS AND BE GENEROUS TO THE FAMILY. BE YOUR WORD IN THOUGHT AND DEED.
BELOVED HUSBAND, OF MARIA LEVER OF VULCAN, LOVING FATHER OF THREE DAUGHTERS EDA LISHMAN AND HER FRIEND PETER SMITH OF CALGARY, FIORELLA (ALLEN) COLE OF IOWA, NIVES AND HER FRIEND BARRY CAMERON, A SON SERGIO (TARA) AND GRANDFATHER OF JASON ALL OF CALGARY, BROTHER OF AGOSTINO (LINA) IN ITALY, NUMEROUS NIECES, NEPHEWS AND FRIENDS, A MAN OF RESPECT, WILL BE GREATLY MISSED BY US ALL.
HE WAS PREDECEASED BY HIS FATHER AGOSTINO, MOTHER CELESTINA, TWO SISTERS MARIA AND EDA, THREE BROTHERS GIACOMO, DOMENICO AND ATURO.
PRAYERS WERE HELD TUESDAY APRIL 15, 1997 AT 7 P.M. AT ST. ANDREW’S CATHOLIC CHURCH, VULCAN.
FUNERAL MASS ALSO AT ST. ANDREWS WEDNESDAY APRIL 16, 1997 AT 11 A.M. WITH REV. LONG VU, CELEBRANT.
INTERMENT VULCAN CEMETERY.
CASKET BEARERS WERE ERIC JAMES, PETER SMITH, GEORGE BRUCE, ALLEN COLE, BARRY CAMERON AND SERGIO LEVER.
IF FRIENDS DESIRE, MEMORIAL TRIBUTES IN RUDY’S MEMORY COULD BE MADE TO THE HEART AND STROKE FOUNDATION OF ALBERTA 1825 PARK RD. S.E. CALGARY TZG 3Y6.
FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS IN CARE OF VULCAN FUNERAL HOME.