HEINRICH (HENRY) PIEL

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HEINRICH (HENRY) PIEL

It is with deep sorrow and heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Henry Piel on November 27, 2023 at the age of 82.

Henry is survived by his wife of 57 years, Helene Marguerite (Marge), daughter Michelle (Ferdinand) Bredenholler of Surrey, British Columbia, son Mark (Julianne Rawson) Piel of Toronto, Ontario, grandchildren Benjamin, Charlotte, and Leo, mother-in-law Ruth Adam, sisters-in-law, and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his father Heinrich, mother Regina (Schmidtke), stepmother Agathe (Roller), brothers Rudolf, Ewald, Reinhard, and Rubin and sister Frieda (Martin).



Henry was born on April 2, 1941, in the town of Kobylniki in what is now western Poland but was then the German Reichsgaue of Warthegau. His family did not reside in his birth town for long; near the end of the Second World War, the family escaped the advancing Soviet army and came to rest in the town of Oehe in Schlewsig-Holstein, Germany. Despite being a young boy at the time, Henry would later recall being impressed with the view across the Baltic Sea: "On a clear day, you could see Denmark!". His family later immigrated to Canada under the sponsorship of Uncle Fred Piel of Silver Plains, Manitoba. Henry was just seven years old when he, along with most of his family, arrived in Quebec City on June 4, 1948 aboard the ship “Beaverbrae”. From there they caught a train to Winnipeg, Manitoba before transferring onwards to Silver Plains and ultimately Morris, Manitoba. By 1953, Henry's family moved closer to Manitoba's capital and took up residence in St. Norbert. Henry would often recall how as a youngster he would carry his hockey stick down to the frozen Red River, clear a patch of snow from its smooth surface, and go for a quiet skate while he imagined playing for his boyhood favourite Toronto Maple Leafs. Henry also developed a love of baseball during this time. Although he never boasted, he was fond of saying that by his late teenage years he was probably good enough a fielder to make a career out of it, a statement his children remain incredulous of to this day. Henry's young life as a rover continued into his early adult years. He took a job with the Bank of Montreal in Winnipeg and was transferred to Yorkton, Saskatchewan in 1964. But it was in Winnipeg where Henry met Marge through friends at Mission Baptist Church on Sargent Avenue. Henry and Marge were later married there on June 25, 1966. After his wedding, additional stints working for banks in Selkirk, Manitoba and Kenora, Ontario followed. Over that time, Henry and Marge added Michelle and Mark to their household. By 1982, Henry and his family moved to the Crescentwood neighbourhood of Winnipeg. Henry quickly re-integrated himself into the Mission Baptist Church family where he volunteered as Church Treasurer, played trombone in the Church brass band, and enjoyed weekend gatherings among the Piels and his extended families (Rollers and Adams). He also continued to avidly follow his beloved Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Winnipeg Jets despite the many disappointments and exasperations which plagued Winnipeg sports fans. Eventually, Henry and his family wanted a fresh start (and warmer winters!) so they moved to Abbotsford, BC in 1987. But Winnipeg was never far from Henry's mind; after only one year without a snow shovel, Henry and his family were "Winnipeggers" once more when they relocated to the Maples where he and Marge resided for 16 years. Henry's return to Winnipeg was not always easy. An entrepreneurial venture did not survive the recession of the early 1990s. His faith in the Lord gave him the strength to soldier on as best he could in his humble and quiet way, and there was always time for a wry or silly joke. To this day, his family remains eternally grateful for both a stranger who quickly called an ambulance after witnessing Henry's heart attack while he was out for a morning walk in 2002 and the doctors at St. Boniface Hospital who performed quadruple by-pass surgery that added years to his life. In 2004, Henry threw away his snow shovel for good. He and Marge returned to Abbotsford before settling near their daughter and her family in Surrey a few years later.



During his retirement he enjoyed reading the newspapers, tolerated drinking his not-hot-enough Tim Horton's coffee, indulged on A&W burgers and root beer, followed the Vancouver Canucks (gasp!), and loved watching and hearing from his grandchildren. Sadly, Henry suffered failing health for many years later in his life. A fall at home in October of 2023 resulted in Henry being taken to Peace Arch Hospital. Shortly thereafter he entered a long-term care home but Henry's time on Earth would soon be over. Throughout his life, Henry was a faithful believer in his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and he has now entered into His arms and has found true joy and lasting peace. Henry, we will forever love and remember you.



In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Peace Arch Hospital Foundation: https://www.pahfoundation.ca/ways-to-give/

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Dec 02, 2023, Dec 02, 2023