Obituary for Fred Umgeher
UMGEHER, Fred Michael
Our dear Fred passed away at ARCH Monday morning, September 27th, and we miss him terribly already. His best four-legged friend, Willie, is out of sorts. Fred was so easy to be around, never pretentious, never overbearing. What you saw was what you got, and what he gave was given willingly and generously.
18 years ago, Fred and Patricia Bowles fell in love and joined their families together. For his sons, Chris (Holly) and Kyle (Sarah), and Patricia’s daughter Nilah (Eric), it wasn’t quite love at first sight, but blended families are hard! Over the years a strong family bond grew, cultivated by Fred’s consistent example. “Team work” was his favourite phrase. No one could ask for a better or more devoted husband or father. A quiet man who thought before he spoke and tried to be careful with other people’s feelings.
If we all had Fred’s strong work ethic the world would be a better place. He spent his 48-year millwright career between the steel plant and tube mill and always said his parents taught him the value of honest work. Alfred Sr and Fred’s beloved mother, Bertha, were hardworking Austrian immigrants who came to Canada in the early 1950s with only $25 each. They would go on to build a beautiful cottage on Northland Lake which Fred, an only child, loved and cherished, eventually passing on that love for camp to his children.
It was hard to go out anywhere in the Soo without Fred running into an old friend or two from baseball, hockey, his boys’ sports, or his bowling days. (His proudest of which was the day he bowled 300!)
Any talk about Fred’s illness has been left until the end so that he isn’t defined by his disease. February 2019, just a month after his 65th birthday, and a month before he was to retire…again….Fred was diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer. The fight has been long and hard and Fred wanted to thank so many people for his care - too many to name. Of course, thank you to Paramed for the excellent home care; to the SAH cancer unit for the life-lengthening treatment; to the palliative care unit for the end of life plan; and to the multitude of family and friends who lifted our spirts with visits, well-wishes and prayers. Fred said early on that he could feel the prayers.
The most unexpected blessing turned out to be our time at ARCH. “Our” time because the whole family experienced the thoughtfulness, generosity, kindness and respect from the staff and volunteers. In our five weeks there we shared so much joy and laughter with them and with each other, that it made the end of life experience that much more graceful.
As hard as it is, with tears and grief and wanting to scream, Fred, our loved one, is now out of pain and gone to join Alfred and Bertha and others who have passed on before. Fred said he wasn’t afraid of dying and had lived a good life but that he was worried about the family he would leave behind. So Fred.
Fred didn’t want a funeral, just to have his ashes spread at our camp by immediate family. A donation to ARCH (payable to or online) is suggested for those who wish to do something, but just remembering to find joy in life every day would be good too. And please smile when you think of Fred.
Our dear Fred passed away at ARCH Monday morning, September 27th, and we miss him terribly already. His best four-legged friend, Willie, is out of sorts. Fred was so easy to be around, never pretentious, never overbearing. What you saw was what you got, and what he gave was given willingly and generously.
18 years ago, Fred and Patricia Bowles fell in love and joined their families together. For his sons, Chris (Holly) and Kyle (Sarah), and Patricia’s daughter Nilah (Eric), it wasn’t quite love at first sight, but blended families are hard! Over the years a strong family bond grew, cultivated by Fred’s consistent example. “Team work” was his favourite phrase. No one could ask for a better or more devoted husband or father. A quiet man who thought before he spoke and tried to be careful with other people’s feelings.
If we all had Fred’s strong work ethic the world would be a better place. He spent his 48-year millwright career between the steel plant and tube mill and always said his parents taught him the value of honest work. Alfred Sr and Fred’s beloved mother, Bertha, were hardworking Austrian immigrants who came to Canada in the early 1950s with only $25 each. They would go on to build a beautiful cottage on Northland Lake which Fred, an only child, loved and cherished, eventually passing on that love for camp to his children.
It was hard to go out anywhere in the Soo without Fred running into an old friend or two from baseball, hockey, his boys’ sports, or his bowling days. (His proudest of which was the day he bowled 300!)
Any talk about Fred’s illness has been left until the end so that he isn’t defined by his disease. February 2019, just a month after his 65th birthday, and a month before he was to retire…again….Fred was diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer. The fight has been long and hard and Fred wanted to thank so many people for his care - too many to name. Of course, thank you to Paramed for the excellent home care; to the SAH cancer unit for the life-lengthening treatment; to the palliative care unit for the end of life plan; and to the multitude of family and friends who lifted our spirts with visits, well-wishes and prayers. Fred said early on that he could feel the prayers.
The most unexpected blessing turned out to be our time at ARCH. “Our” time because the whole family experienced the thoughtfulness, generosity, kindness and respect from the staff and volunteers. In our five weeks there we shared so much joy and laughter with them and with each other, that it made the end of life experience that much more graceful.
As hard as it is, with tears and grief and wanting to scream, Fred, our loved one, is now out of pain and gone to join Alfred and Bertha and others who have passed on before. Fred said he wasn’t afraid of dying and had lived a good life but that he was worried about the family he would leave behind. So Fred.
Fred didn’t want a funeral, just to have his ashes spread at our camp by immediate family. A donation to ARCH (payable to or online) is suggested for those who wish to do something, but just remembering to find joy in life every day would be good too. And please smile when you think of Fred.