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GEOFFREY ARTHUR PREGNALL
Born: Jan 16, 1945
Date of Passing: Oct 18, 2017
Send Flowers to the Family Offer Condolences or MemoryGEOFFREY ARTHUR PREGNALL During a brief stay in hospital, Geoff died peacefully on October 18, 2017, on his own terms and surrounded by the love of his family. Geoff was born in Blackpool, England, on January 16, 1945. In 1966 he immigrated to Winnipeg, where he met and married Janis, his beloved wife of 47 years. He is survived by Janis, his son Colin, brother Graham and many relatives. He was predeceased by his parents, stepfather and brother Jim in Australia. Geoff had a simple but happy childhood. As a youth he loved going train spotting and playing soccer, a sport he excelled at and enjoyed his whole life. One of his fondest memories was meeting Sir Stanley Matthews and receiving a signed ten-bob note from him. Geoff played soccer in Winnipeg, coached Colin's team to three championships, refereed and enjoyed watching matches on television. He also enjoyed watching cricket with his friend Charles. Geoff loved to travel; he made several trips to Australia to visit his brother with Colin and spent time there a year ago with Janis. He and Janis had many memorable winter vacations and visited friends and relatives in various countries; they especially enjoyed the great times spent in Georgia with their good friends Herman and Ionna. Geoff was a kind, funny, gentle man who treasured the time he got to spend with Keisha and Kaya; he also enjoyed visiting with his many friends, going to concerts and having picnics in the park. He had many good times with Colin, who devoted a day each week to be with his dad and took extended time off work to help care for him this past year. Colin and Janis want to thank their friends, neighbours, relatives and church community for their many acts of kindness and support; they also appreciate the care Geoff received from the staff at Grace Hospital and the various doctors who cared for him, especially Dr. Watts. In lieu of flowers, a donation to a charity of your choice would be gratefully accepted. A memorial service to celebrate Geoff's life will be held at Charleswood United Church, 4820 Roblin Blvd., at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 21.
As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Oct 28, 2017
Condolences & Memories (4 entries)
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As I get older, I get to reflect on the past and of people who have helped me in some way in my life and Geoff was one of those people. One year after I moved to Winnipeg (1979), I joined a soccer team called "AJAX" that was run by a lovely Dutch man named Hill Bylholt. Geoff was Hill's assistant coach and manager. I was 17 at the time so Geoff looked after me and often picked me up when we had games to play, and with both of us being British, we had something in common. Through Geoff, I got to meet his wife Janis who invited me into her home a few times, always with a warm smile. I remember one special day (July 16, 1980) to be exact, a Wednesday, Geoff called up me and said would you like to go for a drive to Kenora? I had no idea where Kenora was and how long this drive would take, which was over 2 hours. We talked soccer and about growing up in the UK all the way. In Kenora, we just went to a bar and sat for a couple of hours, had a couple of drinks each then drove back to Winnipeg. If I remember right, he drove a Chevette? We would chat often but in 1981, I left his soccer team to play for another team so our relationship slowly faded away as we didn't see much of each other after me leaving. I had always wondered how he and Janis were doing after he stopped coaching the Ajax team. I came across this notice by accident and felt a tragic sadness when I heard the news. I'd like to wish sincere condolences to the family on their loss.. - Posted by: john baillie (friend from soccer) on: Aug 30, 2023
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Geoff was a close family friend for many years following his arrival in Winnipeg from Blackpool. My mom rented a room in our home to him in the 60’s when it was a common thing to do. Spent many hours each week getting to know Geoff. Had a wonderful time travelling in Britain with Geoff and Janis when I was 16. Geoff left us too early. John Marczyk - Posted by: John S. Marczyk (Friend) on: Jul 20, 2022
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We always enjoyed Geoff's visits to Winnipeg Hearing Centre.. hearing about his travels etc. RIP Mr. Pregnall. - Posted by: Kim McKenzie () on: Oct 30, 2017
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We really enjoyed Geoff's company, and how kind he was to our cats, Ashley and Chaucer, over the years, taking them into your home for the winter. Chaucer, I know was grateful to find a welcome lap to lie on, as Geoff really enjoyed keeping company with him. We will miss Geoff. - Posted by: Jill and Don (friends) on: Oct 29, 2017