Obituary of ALOIS STEFAN AMBACH

ALOIS STEFAN AMBACH January 6, 1923 – September 12, 2014 It is with heavy hearts that we announce the death of our father and Opa, Alois Stefan Ambach at the age of 91. He died after a short struggle with cancer on September 12, 2014 at the home of his daughter and son-in-law. He will be missed by his daughter Kris (Ross) Metcalfe along with their children Cory (Krista) and Tyler (Meagan), and by his son Heinz and his children Damian, Wade and Drew, as well as by his great grandchildren, Charlie and Jake. He was predeceased by both of his spouses - his first wife Vicky in 1980, and by his partner Anne Schmidt in 2013; his parents Johann and Maria in 1968; and by his sister Christine Sessan in 2006. Included among those left to mourn his passing is his brother Michael (Elizabeth). Al was born January 6, 1923 in the small village of Nemetker, Hungary but moved to Yugoslavia at a very early age. It was there he went to school until grade 8. He left home at 13, lied about his age, and became a shoemaker’s apprentice. He was pleased to see his family home and original birth records when he had the opportunity to go back and visit Nemetker in 2011. Al carried a reminder of his time served in WW2 – a bullet that could not be removed because of where it was located. After the war, he lived a short time in Germany and then moved with Victoria Pfeiffer to Austria where they were married on March 16, 1946 and later had son Heinz in 1948. In 1950, Al brought his family to Winnipeg, where his father had emigrated in 1928, and his mother and brother in 1948. There was little work for a shoemaker so he learned a new trade – house painting. He eventually established Ambach Decorating which became known for its quality workmanship. He continued in this business until his retirement in the late 1980s. With Kris’s birth in 1956, they became a truly International family. Al was an active member of the St Joseph’s Sick Men’s Benefit Club, His favorite pastime was 10-pin bowling in its men’s league on Friday nights and a mixed league on Tuesday nights, for which he won numerous trophies including several for high average. He also volunteered at the club’s weekly bingo games for years. It was through this club that he met Anne Schmidt with whom he lived from 1982 until her death in 2013. His family was enriched by the addition of Anne’s son Jim (wife Maggie; children Matthew & Bryn); daughters Marlene (Ross) Moore and Heather (Dan) Dobrinsky and, because of them, numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Al enjoyed almost 40 summers spent at Winnipeg Beach. There was always room at the cottage for everyone: from family, to friends “from the club”, to a group of his grandsons’ friends who were attending hockey camp in Gimli, to the Sunday afternoon run of his son-in-law’s antique car club. Al was a gentle, kind, caring man. He always looked forward to time spent with his family and could always be counted on to attend the sporting events of his grandchildren and great-grandson. He never refused an invitation to play cards or to have dinner out. He enjoyed watching sports on television and could talk in great detail about the Winnipeg Jets and Blue Bombers. Al lived entirely independently in his own home until just a few months ago, having learned to grocery shop and cook for himself much later in life. He thought nothing of still doing things such as climbing the ladder to the roof of his two-story house to check the eavestroughs, or to the top of the apple tree to get the last of the year’s bounty in order to cook up some applesauce. A private graveside memorial service will be held at Elmwood Cemetery. Thanks are due to the health team on 5E at SBGH, Brigitte from the rural Palliative care program, and to Agnes and her staff from Southern Health Home Care for their caring and support during Al’s last days. As an expression of sympathy, if desired, donations in Al’s memory may be made to KidSport Manitoba. We will miss you and love you forever.