Lorenz Ufholz

elevated GljDj It is with broken hearts that we announce the passing of Lorenz Ufholz on April 1st, 2021.

elevated GljDj Lorenz was hardworking, dedicated, and honest, a loving husband (predeceased by his wife Magdalena) a devoted father to Joe (Susan) and Irene and a doting Opa to Kris (Kristin) and Stefani (Adam). Lorenz was predeceased by his parents Lorenz and Theresia Ufholz and brother Nikolaus, sister Teresia and nephew Josef.

elevated GljDj Lorenz would have celebrated his 92nd  birthday on May 26th, 2021. We are blessed to have had him in our lives for so long.

elevated GljDj He was born a Danube Schwabian, in Kula, Jugoslavia (now Serbia) in 1929. He was a survivor of forced removal from a small village in Jugoslavia. In 1945 his family lost everything and hunger was rampant everywhere. His time with his parents and siblings was cut short due to the atrocities in his home country at the time. Like so many other families, they were displaced; it would be a long time before he would see his parents and sister again. His brother Nikolaus passed when Lorenz was only 17.

elevated GljDj He had a hard and challenging early life but lived it bravely. He suffered adversity and persecution when he was young but during that time he met the love of his life, Magdalena. They married in February, 1950. With great effort and risk, Lorenz packed up his family and they fled their home country and moved to Munich, Germany in 1954 and then Toronto, Canada in 1957. He came to Canada to make a better life for his family. We will be forever grateful for that decision and we are thankful for everything he gave us.

elevated GljDj Lorenz loved politics, he enjoyed a good debate, reading about world history, watching old movies, especially if they starred the Three Stooges, fixing cars, gardening, dancing the polka, and enjoying his wife’s extraordinary cooking and baking. He was king of the grill when it came to barbequing and between the two of them, a veritable feast was almost always guaranteed.

elevated GljDj Lorenz always had a twinkle in his eye, a very curious mind, a great sense of humour and he was the best hand holder in the world. He loved family get-togethers, was a great sport and helped make our parties a success.

elevated GljDj He was able to visualize and bring to paper solutions to problems, especially if they allowed him to use his substantial drafting skills. He designed, made the blueprints and built 3 homes and a cottage from scratch. The cottage on Jack Lake created wonderful and cherished memories as well as lasting friendships. Lorenz and his buddy, Blackie, the family Labrador Retriever, spent many hours taking in the warm lake breezes and relaxing on the dock.

elevated GljDj He could, and did, fix everything and anything, all self-taught. His mind was constantly in motion and he was always ready for his next challenge to build or repair something. Sitting still was not part of his DNA. He was a welder by trade but he possessed an alphabet of skills – architect, builder, carpenter, draftsman, electrician, furniture maker, gardener, and more. And to top it off, he loved doing the dishes! The perfect husband, father and neighbour.

elevated GljDj Although he came from simple and challenging beginnings, his hard work, determination and will to survive, characterized this strong and loving husband, father, grandfather, and friend. His experience in the former Jugoslavia never owned him, he never sat by the wayside of life asking for help or expecting it. He was a survivor. He never took the easy route, he never blamed anyone for what happened.

elevated GljDj He was dearly loved by all. His heart was full of kindness, generosity and love. His family was always his top priority, he loved his wife and family more than anything.

elevated GljDj He adored and cherished our mother, they had a great love that lasted 68 years. He lost his zest for life after mom passed. He didn’t know how to live without his beautiful wife and companion. We have some comfort knowing that he is now reunited with his family and our wonderful mother.

elevated GljDj Thank you for everything you have given us during your precious time as father, Opa, friend and companion.

elevated GljDj We would like to thank Dr. Gwendoline Rajakumar and her dedicated staff for their amazing care and support over so many years. She was dad’s advocate, would always rally for him and treat him with respect and provide the best care possible.

elevated GljDj Due to COVID restrictions, a private service will take place. We will celebrate his life at a later date when it is safe to do so. During these difficult times, in lieu of flowers, a donation to the Daily Bread Food Bank https://www.dailybread.ca/  would be appreciated.